Martina Anderson’s votes.
Indications are that Sinn Fein has increased its vote in the European election.
Martina Anderson in happy mood at the count centre with senior Derry Sinn Fein party member Dominic Doherty.
Counting is continuing in Belfast’s King’s Hall with the result of the first preference votes yet to be declared.
However, “Tallymen” are predicting Sinn Fein’s Martina Anderson has secured in region of 159,000 votes, 28,000 ahead of the DUP’s Diane Dodds.
With the quota predicted to be around 150,000 it will be enough to see the Derry woman elected on the first count.
Mrs Dodds has also secured enough first preferences to be elected as has Ulster Unionist Jim Nicholson who has polled 83,000 votes.
The SDLP’s Alex Attwood is a further 2,000 votes behind on 81,000 which is not enough to get him elected.
Ms Anderson said she was “delighted” with the numbers who had turned out to support Sinn Fein and described today as an “historic day” for Sinn Fein with party set to take a seat in each of three EU constituencies in the Republic, taking the party’s representation in Brussels to four.
Sinn Fein president described Ms Anderson’s performance as “outstanding.”
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