ELECTION 2022: South Antrim – Sinn Fein’s all-Ireland chairman Declan Kearney trounces all to seize seat

He easily reached the 7,623 quota with 9,185 first preference votes.

Mr Kearney – who is the cousin of dissident victim Peadar Heffron, maimed in a 2010 bomb attack – has previously scored well in the area.

He took 6,891 first preference ballot papers in 2017, with Steve Aiken of the UUP coming runner-up with 6,287.

This time around Mr Kearney’s surge put him nearly 2,000 votes clear of anyone else.

The other results are as follows:

John Blair, Alliance: 7,315

Pam Cameron, DUP: 6,899

Steve Aiken, UUP: 5,354

Trevor Clarke, DUP: 4,943

Mel Lucas, TUV: 4,371

Roisin Lynch, SDLP: 3,139

Paul Michael, UUP: 2,821

Roisin Bennett, Aontu: 657

Veronica Lesley, Green: 539

Jerry Maguire, PBP, 251

Andrew Moran, Ind., 262

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