Local elections: Sinn Féin now largest party in Northern Ireland's local government

Sinn Féin's deputy leader Michelle O'Neill (taking the selfie) has called it an "historic election result"

Local elections took place across Northern Ireland on 18 May, where adults could decide which councillors will represent them in their towns and cities.

In what's been described as an historic result, Sinn Féin is now the largest party in local government with 144 seats.

That's 39 more than the political party won at the local elections in 2019.

It follows last year's assembly election, where Sinn Féin became the largest party at Stormont.

The Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), now the second largest party in local government, won 122 seats, the same as four years ago.

Voting closed at 10pm on 18 May and the ballots were counted overnight

Why is this result so significant?

In Northern Ireland, the government's power must be shared between two different political parties. This is a result of something called the Good Friday Agreement, which came about to bring peace to Northern Ireland after many years of violence known as The Troubles.

The First Minister and Deputy First Minister lead the government - one representing each of the two parties in power.

Although they have different job titles, they basically have the same powers and must work together.

They are referred to as the Northern Ireland Executive or Stormont.

Stormont is the home of the Northern Ireland government, which was dissolved after an argument between the two parties in power

Sinn Féin won the majority of seats at the 2022 General Assembly Elections with the DUP just two seats behind them, so they should be working together.

Sinn Féin is a nationalist party that wants a united Ireland, where Northern Ireland would no longer be a part of the UK and would instead join up with the Republic of Ireland to become one country.

The second largest party, the DUP, is a unionist party which wants Northern Ireland to remain part of the UK.

But the DUP isn't happy about the post-Brexit trading rules agreed upon by the UK Government and the EU and is staying out of the Northern Ireland Executive, which means at the moment the Northern Irish Assembly is not functioning.

Michelle O'Neill said Sinn Féin's result was historic

What happens now?

Sinn Féin now has the majority in local government as well as the assembly - their second historic win in a year.

The party's vice-president, Michelle O'Neill, is calling for the DUP to return to power-sharing government at Stormont.

She said: "These results are a positive endorsement of Sinn Féin's message that workers, families and communities need to be supported, and that the blocking of a new assembly by one party must end."

DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson said his party still wants changes to the post-Brexit rules so it could return to Stormont.

"That's about ensuring that Northern Ireland's ability to trade with the rest of the United Kingdom is not only respected but protected in law, and that our place in the union is restored," he said.