SF leaders take to election trail in cliffhanger constituency

The purposeful strides of Sinn Fein candidate Pat Doherty and party president Gerry Adams are hard to keep up with as they take…

The purposeful strides of Sinn Fein candidate Pat Doherty and party president Gerry Adams are hard to keep up with as they take to the doorsteps of Omagh, the heart of the West Tyrone constituency. Here, Mr Doherty hopes to take the Westminster seat from the anti-agreement Ulster Unionist MP Mr William Thompson.

In the nationalist area of O'Kane Park, doors are thrown open in welcome as word spreads - with the help of a canvasser with a megaphone - that the two republicans are on the election trail.

Mr Adams and Mr Doherty greet the residents as old friends. Large families, teenagers, young mothers carrying babies, toddlers and grandparents all emerge from their homes to greet the Sinn Feiners by their first names.

Mr Doherty says Sinn Fein has already, "knocked on every nationalist door" in the constituency "at least once" during the campaign.

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Though dressed in a smart black suit, he joins in a football game with children on the local green. They all know him by name.

Political issues are scarce as "Pat" and "Gerry" and a sizeable entourage work the housing estate. The Belfast Agreement doesn't even get a mention. Yet every adult asked whether they will cast a vote on June 7th, says without hesitation that "yes, yes", they will.

Mr Doherty, like every other candidate, is "very confident" he can win the West Tyrone seat. Sinn Fein outpolled the SDLP in West Tyrone significantly in the 1998 Assembly elections and also exceeded the combined votes of the DUP and UUP.

However, senior party members are not happy at the SDLP's decision to run its Assembly minister Ms Brid Rodgers in the area.

In the more upmarket homes of Dergmoney on the Dublin Road, residents have a different view of Sinn Fein.

Ms Alison Agnew, wife of a local Methodist minister, says Sinn Fein members have not canvassed her home. She thinks they may have seen the "Methodist Manse" nameplate. Yes, she will vote.

In the same estate, Mr Paul Gallagher said the call from this reporter was the first visit to his door in this campaign. He will not vote for Mr Doherty, but he has nothing good to say about the Ulster Unionist candidate, Mr Thompson.

The Alliance Party, of which he is a member, is not running a candidate.

"It's going to be a cliffhanger and it will be interesting to watch," he said.