"As Bobby Sands said, everyone has a part to play no matter how small. This seat was won by four votes, the few minutes it took those four people to cast their vote secured this victory," a jubilant Michelle Gildernew declared as she was announced as MP for Fermanagh and South Tyrone. Free article

The Westminster election was an election of precedents, the most significant of which being Sinn Féin's second consecutive poll topping performance. West Belfast MP Gerry Adams won his sixth Westminster term, with the highest vote share in the Six Counties, and the second highest across all the Westminster seats. Sinn Féin also retained their five seats for the second consecutive election, with increased vote share in eight constituencies compared to the 2007 Assembly elections. Free article

Sinn Féin Dáil leader Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin TD last week moved the writ for the Donegal South-West by-election which he challenged the Government to hold in the coming weeks. The vote on the Dáil motion was tied and the Government required the casting vote of the Ceann Comhairle to defeat it. Free article

Speaking on Tuesday, after the killers of North Belfast teenager Thomas Devlin were sentenced to 30 years and 22 years in gaol, Executive Minister and North Belfast M.L.A. Gerry Kelly said, "I want to take this opportunity to once again praise the parents of Thomas Devlin for their campaign for justice. In the midst of the most crippling grief they were forced to overcome huge obstacles placed in their way by the PPS, Public Prosecution Service." Free article

Sinn Féin Councillors John Brady and John Snell have announced that they are to table a motion of no-confidence in Wicklow County Manager Eddie Sheehy. They are seeking to have this motion tabled at an emergency meeting which is hoped to take place in the coming days. Following the arrest of Mr. Sheehy on Tuesday morning as part of an investigation into the deaths of two fire fighters Brian Murray and Mark O'Shaughnessy in Bray in 2007, Cllr Brady said that it was untenable for Mr Sheehy to continue in his position. Free article

The MV Linda was rechristened as the Rachie Corrie, in Dundalk port on Wednesday morning, at a ceremony attended by several Sinn Féin representatives including Aengus Ó Snodaigh and Arthur Morgan. The ship was named in honour of of the young American human rights activist who died during a non-violent protest to stop Israeli forces bulldozing Palestinian homes in the Gaza strip during 2003. Free article

The aftershock of a hung parliament in Britain finally came to a conclusion this week with Gordan Brown falling on his own sword in an attempt to secure a Labour/Liberal Democrat coalition. In the end his political sacrifice amounted to nothing as the Lib Dem's backed the Conservatives and made David Cameron Prime Minister. Free article

largely portrayed the SDLP's results in the 6 May Westminster election as a victory for the party - or a halt of its decline - and an endorsement of its new leader Margaret Ritchie. The SDLP retained its three Westminster seats in Foyle (Mark Durkan), South Belfast (Alasdair McDonnell) and South Down (Ritchie) - helped by republican voters in South Belfast and by Free article