Two days of vote counting finishes after Northern Ireland’s council elections
Sinn Féin becomes the largest party in local government in Northern Ireland for the first time
DUP retains same number of seats, Alliance makes gains while UUP and SDLP suffer losses
Councils are responsible for services such as waste collection, street cleaning, planning, parks and leisure services
The elections use the single transferable vote system - a form of proportional representation
What do councils actually do? And what powers will the councillors who are elected have?
Maybe an equally important question, given the impasse at Stormont, is what powers don’t they have?
Here’s a reminder of their roles and responsibilities
Image source, PacemakerThe result at Belfast City Council has added edge in the absence of the powersharing Assembly at Stormont.
With 60 seats, the council is the largest elected body in NI which is currently working. Its chamber has mirrored Stormont in recent years.
At the last council election in 2019, Sinn Féin held the most seats, and the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) came in second.
Image source, PacemakerCara Hunter, the SDLP MLA for East Londonderry, has congratulated Ashleen Schenning who has been re-elected to as a councillor in Limavady.
She was elected during the third stage of the count.
In a tweet, external Cara Hunter said, "huge well done to Ashleen Schenning! A hard working Councillor back in Council to deliver for the people of Limavady."
Image source, Cara Hunter from TwitterSinn Féin have said that "history has been made" after they had their first councillor elected in Ballymena.
Breanainn Lyness was elected on the first count with 926 votes.
The Ballymena seat has previously been a target for Sinn Féin, but they had missed out up until now.
The former Sinn Féin MEP Martina Anderson tweeted to congratulate the new councillor. , external
Five of the six seats in the constituency have now been declared.
Image source, Martina Anderson from TwitterThe Alliance Party is celebrating increasing its vote in Lurgan.
Peter Lavery tweeted shorty after he was re-elected., external
"Beyond astounded to have been elected on the 1st count in Lurgan.
"Thank you to each and every one of you who placed your trust in me and the Alliance Party I won’t let you down."
Cllr Lavery, left, is joined by the Alliance MLA Eoin Tennyson in the photo.
Image source, Peter Lavery from TwitterAn update on the state of play at Mid and East Antrim Borough Council - 3 DUP councillors, 2 Alliance Party, 2 UUP, one TUV, one Independent and one Sinn Féin.
BBC Northern Ireland's election coverage has been scaled back due to NUJ strike action.
A full results service across online , TV and radio had been planned from lunchtime on Friday 19 May. However, regular updates are being provided online and on radio bulletins.
The NUJ says its walk out is over cuts and programme changes.
The BBC says it "deeply regrets" the industrial action and its "negative impact" on BBC services.
Image source, PacemakerSinn Féin councillor Liam Mackle shared this image, external after he and party running mate Keith Haughian were elected on the first count.
Peter Lavery from the Alliance Party and Peter Haire from the DUP were also elected on the first count in the Lurgan DEA.
Image source, Liam Mackle from TwitterIn a shock result in Lisburn North, two former Mayors have both lost their seats.
The DUP's Scott Carson and the Alliance Party's Stephen Martin have both missed out.
Cllr Carson is the current mayor in the city.
A Ulster Unionist Party party official has resigned.
Michael Palmer is the vice-president of the Young Unionists.
In a tweet he said, external; "After nearly ten years of service, I resign from the Ulster Unionist Party.
"This includes my position as YU Vice President, Strangford Diversity Officer and Executive Delegate. I stood for the party in the 2019 Council election where we declined as well.
"It is time to move on."
Here's a snappy little graphic with the numbers of local council seats won by the political parties so far compared to the overall results in 2019.
The DUP's Alison Bennington has been re-elected in Antrim and Newtownabbey after topping the poll in the Glengormley area with 1,432 votes.
The son of former first minister David Trimble has been re-elected to Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council as a Ulster Unionist councillor.
Nicholas Trimble was elected in the fourth stage of the count in the Lisburn North constituency.
Lord Trimble died in July 2022.
Image source, PANine councillors have been elected at Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council - 4 DUP, 4 Sinn Féin and one from the Alliance Party.
Latest picture at Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council.
Sinn Féin vice-president Michelle O'Neill says she is "very grateful for every single voter who has come out and voted for Sinn Féin."
Ms O'Neill says that while it is still early days, it's looking good for Sinn Féin.
She points out that the party have had a Sinn Féin councillor elected in Lisburn city for the first time.
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More than 60 candidates are deemed elected at counts across NI.
Here's a snapshot of the latest results at ABC council - otherwise known as Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council.
Latest from ABC council
The DUP leader, Sir Jeffrey Donaldson has congratulated the first two DUP councillors elected in Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council,
Thomas Beckett and Jonathan Craig were both elected on the first count in their district electoral areas.
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The latest results from the count at Causeway Coast and Glens are three seats for Sinn Féin and one for the DUP.
The latest from Causeway Coast and Glens
The latest from Mid Ulster District council - 8 Sinn Féin seats, 1 DUP and 1 SDLP.
Mid Ulster District Council latest seats
The banner at the top of this live page will keep you up to date with the latest results, with the numbers changing continually.
Counting will be fast and furious all day, with the election staff expected to take a well-earned break overnight and pick up back up in the morning.
Image source, PacemakerCounting is a complicated business.