LAST WEEK'S local and European elections in the 26 Counties have seen a massive defeat for the Government parties with Fianna Fáil obtaining the lowest share of the vote in its history and the virtual wipeout of the Greens. In the two Dublin by-elections, Fianna Fáil was pushed into third place in Dublin South and fifth place in Dublin Central. The election of Fine Gael's George Lee in Dublin South and of Independent Maureen O'Sullivan in Dublin Central has cut the Government's Dáil majority to just three. Free article

SINN FÉIN Minister Conor Murphy has challenged those who fire bombed his home in the early hours of Thursday morning, 4 June, to explain their actions. The home of the south Armagh republican was attacked as he and his family were asleep. The home of his elderly parents-in-law, who live next door to the Murphy family, was also targeted in the incident. Free article

THE Fianna Fáil/Green Party Government should pack its bags and go, Sinn Féin Dáil leader Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin told deputies as republican TDs backed the no-confidence motion tabled by Fine Gael on Tuesday and voted on on Wednesday. Brian Cowen and John Gormley should resign and face the people in a general election, the Sinn Féin TD said. "The people very clearly have absolutely no confidence in this Fianna Fáil/Green Government. They have shown that by their overwhelming vote last Friday in the local and European elections. Free article

SINN FÉIN MEP Bairbre de Brún was re-elected to the European Parliament, topping the poll in the Six Counties in last week's EU elections. This was a truly historic development as de Brún is the first nationalist to top the poll and Sinn Féin is now the largest party in the North of Ireland. De Brún, elected on the first count, broke a record held by the DUP since 1979. The Sinn Féin MEP got 126,184 votes and was the only candidate to reach the quota on the first count. Free article

THESE EU elections were among the most difficult Sinn Féin has ever contested. In the Six Counties motivating turnout was always going to be a key factor and the party's success in topping the poll and maintaining a 26% first preference vote share is testimony to a hugely successful campaign. In the 26 Counties the party came under sustained negative campaigning and opposing party political tactics deliberately designed to undermine and target the Sinn Féin vote. Sinn Féin polled 11.2% of the total 26-County EU vote, up slightly on 2004. Free article

New county council seats in Carlow, Cavan, Clare, Cork, Kilkenny, Limerick, Mayo, Offaly, Tipperary, Waterford and Wicklow all show the tangible gains by Sinn Féin as the party held up and improved upon its substantial 2004 performance in local and EU elections. Across the five EU constituencies on the island Sinn Féin took a massive 331,797 votes and 14.34% of the all-Ireland vote. In the County council elections Sinn Féin entered the election with 51 seats and came out of the poll with 54 county council seats and 67 town council and borough seats. An Phoblacht's Robbie Smyth runs through the council votes county by county outlining the Sinn Féin performance which varies from seats won topping the poll to one vote margins in Cavan. Free article

A count centre is a strange place. In the digital age it is odd to see people shuffling through ballot papers and stuffing them in cubbyholes, or carting them around by the hundred in wire baskets. Electronic voting would dispose of the whole process at the touch of a button. But it would also take much of the excitement from an elections Free article