With all 582 local councillors elected by mid-afternoon yesterday, it was clear there had been significant changes in the balance of power in most of the North's 28 town halls.
Although the UUP remained the largest party with 154 councillors, it had lost 31 while the DUP had gained 40 to 131.
The SDLP vote held up well and the party remained the largest in nationalism, having lost only three seats and secured 117. Sinn Fein, however, gained 34 seats to finish just behind the SDLP at 108, the first time it had broken the 100 barrier.
Many of the DUP gains came at the expense of the UUP, but both they and Sinn Fein also gained at the expense of smaller parties and independents. The Alliance tally fell by 13, from 41 to 28, and small parties and independents dropped from 71 to 44.
Most Sinn Fein gains came west of the river Bann. In Fermanagh, where its vote had suffered since the 1987 IRA bombing of Enniskillen, the party went from five seats to nine, taking seats from the UUP and independents. In Strabane it went from four to seven, taking only one from the SDLP.
Sinn Fein went from one seat to four in Limavady, dragging the SDLP back from seven to four. In Magherafelt it took two seats from the SDLP and became the largest party on the council.
In Derry the SDLP remained the largest party, holding all 14 of its seats, but Sinn Fein won 10, gaining two. In Newry and Mourne Sinn Fein went from eight to 13 seats.
In Craigavon the Ulster Unionists lost three seats to the DUP which now has six to the UUP's eight. The DUP gained two seats from the UUP in Larne. With five seats to the UUP's four it became the biggest party.
In Ballymena, after gaining three seats, the DUP held 11 and regained control of the council from the Ulster Unionists who dropped from 11 to four.
In Ards the UUP also lost control to the DUP. The UUP share fell from 10 to eight, and the DUP's increased by four to nine seats. In Banbridge the UUP remained the largest party despite dropping from nine seats to seven while the DUP rose from three to seven.
An overall rise in the nationalist vote meant that two councils which had previously been deadlocked between nationalists and unionists seemed set to fall to nationalists. In Dungannon Sinn Fein increased its vote by three at the expense of unionists and made the council the 10th under nationalist control.
The fortunes of the Alliance party also suffered as it disappeared from councils in Omagh, Antrim, Craigavon and Ballymena, but it has retained the balance of power on Belfast City Council. Sinn Fein achieved its aim of becoming the largest party on the council. However, its immediate aim to provide the next lord mayor may be thwarted if Alliance does not agree.
The SDLP, Sinn Fein and the DUP all secured gains on the council The unionist bloc retained 25 seats while the nationalist bloc was up three to a total of 23.
Sinn Fein's representation increased by one seat to 14, following its landmark victory in the predominantly loyalist Pottinger ward in east Belfast. The SDLP gained two seats at the expense of the Alliance party, leaving it with a total of nine.
The DUP increased its presence by three seats to secure a total of 10, Ulster Unionists took 11, a decrease of two seats on their 1997 result.
Dr David Alderdice declined to confirm whether his party, Alliance, would support Sinn Fein in the next contest for lord mayor, which will be held in the coming weeks. Sources at Belfast City Hall suggested Alliance may refuse to support Sinn Fein this year but support it in a subsequent contest.