It did not take long for the first Enniskillen seat to be announced at Omagh Leisure Centre today (Saturday).

With 1,161 votes DUP candidate Keith Elliott retained his seat and joined fellow party member Paul Robinson in topping the poll in their respective wards.

Speaking after being returned Councillor Elliott was delighted to have seen his vote increase and believes the hard work he has put in over the last five years has resulted in people coming out and voting for him.

“I’m over the moon. My vote is up and I suppose it’s good that it happened so quickly.

 “I know the last five years a lot of hard work put in and the big thing is getting results for people and doing your best. 

“If you get results, you get results on the day and thanks very much to everybody who has come out and voted for the Democratic Unionist Party.”

After the first stage of voting Paul Blake (SDLP) and Tommy Maguire (Sinn Féin) are close to the quota of 1,033. 

In what could a long and nervous day for the final Enniskillen seat, Fermanagh and Omagh Council Chairman Howard Thornton (UUP) may come under pressure from Donal O’Cofaigh from the Cross-Community Labour Alternative. Debbie Coyle (Sinn Féin) could also lose out.

The Green Party’s Debbie Coleman was the first to be eliminated.