THE FALLS is normally a shrine to Gerry Adams on election day. Sinn Fein placards perch on trees, lamp posts and railings. Posters adorn the walls on every street. The road is a sea of green, white and orange.
Yesterday a visitor would hardly have known the poll was taking place.
Usually, voters can barely squeeze into polling stations, there are so many Sinn Fein canvassers around. But this time, a wet and windy nationalist west Belfast was not in election mood.
The polling stations were virtually deserted. One bedraggled Sinn Feiner stood outside St John the Baptist's School. Another lonely canvasser hovered near the gates of La Salle.
There was no one outside Holy Cross: the only republican was inside eating dinner.
"I can't believe it," said one former Sinn Fein worker. "We always had two caravans outside polling stations One for the tea and sandwiches, the other to steal votes."
There were no cavalcades of vehicles blasting out rebel music either, just a solitary car here and there with a loudspeaker.
"Use Your Brain, Vote Sinn Fein," was scrawled on a wall. "It said `Use Your Brian' before we changed it," a republican said.
The Shankill was a different story. Black taxis drove up and down displaying posters for the fringe loyalists. The Ulster Democratic Party and the Progressive Unionist Party, the political wings of the UDA and UVF respectively, were out in force.
"It's all new to us," said a PUP canvasser. "We're election virgins. We're having a great time.
Massive PUP and UDP banners hung across several streets. There was red, white and blue bunting everywhere. Telephone boxes were shrouded in huge Union Jacks.
"He looks like a movie star," said one wee boy, pointing at a poster of UDP leader Gary McMichael.
Outside West Kirk Presbyterian Hall a UDP caravan thumped out rock music. "We're taking requests," said the man running the show. "Tina Turner and Elton John are in big demand."
"It's Good To Talk" was the UDP's slogan; Things Can Only Get Better by D Ream its theme song. The caravan was covered in pink balloons and pictures of Mr McMichael against the Statue of Liberty.
Mr McMichael toured the city, waving through the sun roof of the campaign car. "Gary bought a new black suit and waistcoat especially for the election. He looks like Idi Amin," said party colleague Johnny White.
Mr White, a candidate himself, looked very smart in a new suede jacket. There was intense rivalry between the two fringe parties.
"Look at the PUP canvasser," said a UDP candidate, Jim Duffy. "He's giving leaflets to people leaving the polling station."
"That's so the voters can take them home to their families," said PUP man Robert Orr. He had been canvassing night and day for the past fortnight.
"My wife's ready to divorce me," he said. "The worst thing is, she's German. She can't understand anything that's going on."
Up in Ardoyne, voting was steady but the place was lifeless. The only passion was provided by protesters from the newly formed Northern Ireland Human Rights Alert. It was protesting against punishment beatings.
Its posters raised republican eyebrows. "Help the paramilitaries. Break your own leg. See UDA, UVF and IRA for details," they read.