The crowd that had gathered outside the metal gates of Newtownabbey's Valley Leisure Centre was ecstatic. It was 3 a.m. on Friday, the rain was coming down in a fine drizzle but they were determined to give their champion a hero's reception.
The cheers grew deafening as the Rev William McCrea, flanked by his party leader, the Rev Ian Paisley, and the DUP's deputy leader, Mr Peter Robinson, emerged. Dr Paisley did the honours: "Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the MP for South Antrim, the Rev Willie McCrea." "MP, MP, MP" came the reply from the crowd as Mr McCrea, affectionately known as "wee Willie" among party-faithfuls, was lifted onto the shoulders of Mr Ian Paisley jnr and Mr Albert Steele.
Mr McCrea gave thanks to the "good people of South Antrim" and declared himself the winner of the "light-bulb election", referring to an ad taken out by his Ulster Unionist rival, Mr David Burnside, in the previous day's unionist Newsletter. "If Willie McCrea wins today . . . will the last person to leave South Antrim please turn out the light."
"Well, Willie McCrea has won and the light is shining more brightly in South Antrim today . . . The only light that is being turned out is that on those unionists who have betrayed their country," said Mr McCrea.
The declaration came just before 2 a.m. DUP eyes were smiling with the UUP's baby barristers glumly handing out a statement by Mr Trimble describing the result as a "protest-vote on Patten".
Less than two hours' sleep and dozens of interviews later, Mr McCrea posed for photographs at the DUP's headquarters.
"You didn't think you would see the day where you would have to report this," Dr Paisley bellowed at a red-eyed press corps. The DUP had been partying into the early hours but was ready to start a "major offensive to nail every constituency in Ulster", the media were told.