Election 2004 Duirt Siad

Wags in Belfast were quick off the mark after Sinn Féin's election success coincided with the English soccer team's Euro 2004 loss to France

Sinn Féin landslide - historic shift as Bertrie rocked and SF enjoys sweeping electoral gains. — Ireland on Sunday front-page banner headline.

A tidal wave of votes for Sinn Féin. — Ireland on Sunday headline.

The big winners everywhere were undoubtedly Sinn Féin. — John Lee, Ireland on Sunday.

Fianna Fáil trounced as Sinn Féin makes significant gains. — Sunday Tribune headline.

Sinn Féin emerged the big winners with major council seat gains, especially in Dublin, and a very strong showing in the Euro vote. — John Downing, Irish Daily Star Sunday.

Sinn Féin election shocker - Adams makes big gains. — The People front-page headline (Sunday).

There's no doubt that the one-time 'Northern Ireland' party are now a voice to be reckoned with on the Irish political scene. Many may not like their history but there's no doubting they are working their backsides off in the oppressed suburbs of Dublin and elsewhere. — The People editorial, discarding the voice of Sinn Féin voters in the Six Counties as being part of the Irish political scene.

Sinn Féin make new advances to become the big winners. — Irish Independent headline (Monday).

Sinn Féin is the big story in 2004. — Elections analyst Seán Donnelly, Irish Times (Monday).

Bertie's bloody nose - Sinn Féin treble their vote as Fianna Fáil lose 80 council seats. — Irish Daily Mirror front-page banner headline (Monday).

Sinn Féin were the real winners - earning the party its highest vote in the history of the State. — Declan Fahy and Damien Lane, Irish Daily Mirror (Monday).

With Fine Gael on the way up and Sinn Féin on the march as a serious political player, the chips are down for the Government parties more than ever before in their seven years in power together.

— Irish Independent Political Editor Gene McKenna (Monday).

What a story! From IRA prisoner Bobby Sands - a 'blanket' man from Belfast, endorsed by nationalists in Fermanagh and South Tyrone in 1981 - to Sinn Féin rising nationally to become a force for change for the working class of this island and an example, internationally, of the fruits of struggle, the power of conviction and idealism. — Danny Morrison, Irish Examiner (Monday).

Well, hello, Mary Lou. — Irish Daily Star headline (Monday).

Sinn Féin rewarded for years of activism in community. — Irish Independent headline (Tuesday).

The story of the Dublin Euro election is one of coronation of years of Sinn Féin activism in local communities across the capital in working-class areas.

— Senan Molony, Irish Independent (Tuesday).

There was a particularly high turnout in Border areas, reflecting the Sinn Féin determination to deliver votes. While the Fianna Fáil juggernaut never got out of second gear, Sinn Féin was motoring ahead. — Irish Independent (Monday).

With the party's attention to detail and its well-organised electoral machine, Sinn Féin can look realistically to increasing its Dáil representation from five to possibly double figures at the next general election. — Irish Independent (Tuesday).

The well-funded and highly orchestrated election campaign run by Sinn Féin has now emerged as one of the key factors in the post-election fall-out. In sharp contrast, the famed Fianna Fáil electoral machine of old was caught flat-footed in a number of constituencies. — Evening Herald editorial (Tuesday).

And so, on a day in Irish politics when the old order stuck out its lower lip and sulked, Sinn Féin rejoiced, but they've been doing that for some time now. — Miriam Lord, Irish Independent (Monday).

Sinn Féin's vote held up when possibly one of the youngest county councillors in Ireland, Matt Carty (26), outpolled the Ceann Chomhairle, Dr Rory O'Hanlon. — Irish Daily Star (Monday).

I took in over 65,000 first preferences, reached almost 86,000 votes, and this challenges the myth about Sinn Féin and transfers. — Sinn Féin Northwest EU candidate Pearse Doherty, who came closer to winning a seat than anyone outside the party predicted.

Commenting on the success of Sinn Féin, the Green Party leader said he would "welcome" it because it would shake up the Establishment parties - even if one of the losers to Sinn Féin was Patricia McKenna, his own party's MEP. — Liam Collins, Sunday Independent.

So Sinn Féin will have as many as many MEPs in Strasbourg as the combined forces of unionism. The republican party's rise in the Republic also continued, apparently without drag of any kind. — Chris Thornton, Belfast Telegraph (Tuesday).

Asked if Labour would consider a partnership with Sinn Féin, Proinsias de Rossa said: "In Labour we are more than willing to help them on what some might call the long and sticky road to democracy." — The re-elected Dublin MEP and former leader of the Sticky Workers' Party, showing an unusually mischievous flash of wit in the Sunday Times, but not mentioning the war or 'Official IRA' weapons that were never decommissioned.

Knives out for Mac - TDs want Finance Minister Charlie McCreevy moved to clear way for purge. — Irish Independent headline (Tuesday), reporting that "rattled" Fianna Fáil backbenchers want a "total shake-up" amid "dissent alongside hankering for a social agenda".

Government must deliver on public services, says Harney. — No, not a late April Fool joke or a student rag week prank but an Irish Examiner headline on the bid by Ireland's Thatcher wannabe to wash her hands of her government's cutbacks and right-wing privatisation agenda.

Donkeys leading lions. — The Progressive Democrats Wicklow County Council candidate, Dr Ruairí Hanley, about the PD leadership and who wants PD leader Mary Harney to resign after the Pee Dees' dismal display.

As Enda Kenny learned that everyone loves a winner, there was one cloud on the horizon. Pat Rabbitte has learned the hard lesson that not enough people love a smarty-pants. — Sunday Independent columnist and intellectual style guru, John Drennan, who could never be described as smarty-pants.

Like Schwarzenegger, I'll be back. — Dana Rosemary Scallan, quoting the Terminator after seeing her MEP job terminated.

We look like a party of big business because of the PDs. — Unnamed Munster Fianna Fáil TD, Irish Times (Tuesday), who wants the Soldiers of Destiny to become a Centre-Left party.

He's not feeling too well and he's not talking to anyone. — Rory Scanlon, the director of elections for the absentee Fianna Fáil failed Euro candidate and Dublin mayor, Royston Brady.

The Government... can make its pro-immigrant message a reality by being generous in the residency requirement for those seeking Irish citizenship for the children that will be born and grow up here. — Carol Coulter, Irish Times (Monday).