The Sinn Fein table at the Omagh Count Centre was full of happy bunnies, with every good reason to be so. They had seen their MP, Michelle Gildernew romp in, in second place, a mere 112 votes behind Arlene Foster, they had watched as Gerry McHugh, a former MLA, being returned to the Assembly and, for good measure, their third candidate, Sean Lynch involved in a 'final three' finish with Maurice Morrow and Mr McHugh.
In a nutshell, Sinn Fein had blitzed the two Independent Republicans who, it must be said, had been seen by others - but not by Ms Gildernew - as a real threat.
"I had stated beforehand that I didn't believe they would take votes off us", she told the 'Herald'. "We welcome the fact they ran and they now know the level of support there is, for Sinn Fein, for the SF leadership and for our strategy".
She confirmed that her Party had targeted the three seats and saw in her increased personal first preference vote (plus 535) an indicator of Sinn Fein's upwards and onwards climb. So, where did those extra votes come from (plus 1.8 per cent overall)? - "They came from all over the place. We got votes on the basis of the workload we had done, from the SDLP and from UUP voters and some from the migrant working population.
"So, those are the two things we out our increase down to, our diligence and the application of transfers. The two Independents, together, polled 1,245 which you would expect by way of a personal vote across a constituency such as this one".
And, she just as easily summed up the DUP 'will they or won't they' position: "If they don't come on board, we're into Plan B and Ian Paisley will lose the one institution he wants to be in charge of, we're going to have more involvement with Ministers from the 26 Counties and we're going to proceed to other elements of the Good Friday Agreement, including the North/South element".
Warming to her message, Ms Gildernew noted that Pat Doherty (West Tyrone), even as she spoke, was on his way to Wicklow to launch Sinn Fein's election campaign down South and she was confident her Party would return, 'a very positive representation' to Leinster House.
"We don't stand still. We go forward. The DUP have got to realise it is now or never".
For Councillor Gerry McHugh, 'being away' from the Assembly, as he called it meant nothing for, as he put it, nothing was happening.
"I was delighted to be nominated, but I have no wish to see those last wasted four years repeated. Now I am in, I see it as an opportunity to get the Assembly up and running and to represent people at a higher level, at the decision level".
Asked about the DUP's stance, Mr McHugh submitted that Ian Paisley was forever asking questions for Sinn Fein to deliver.
"I think the question should be turned round. The DUP should be asked: 'do they think they are entitled to hold a veto over people's right to have their mandate represented? People want us to represent them on ordinary issues. They want Sinn Fein back in government and they want people to get into power-sharing. All sides have voted for that. Ian Paisley is one person and he should not have a right to veto".
Looking to the future, he too was confident that Sinn Fein could capture three seats in Fermanagh-South Tyrone and based that on what he called, 'the wasted vote' that had gone to other candidates who had no chance of being elected.
"Those votes could have gone to Sinn Fein and left us a stronger position for Ministerial positions at Assembly level. But, when you look at the percentage increase of the Sinn Fein vote right across the Six Counties is a perfect example of people's decision to support us in the decisions we have taken on the way forward".
