Sinn Féin Win Tyrone By Four Votes

After the declaration, Ms Gildernew said: "The regressive attempt by the Orange Order to muster the combined forces of unionism against me and against the progressive politics I represent had to be confronted."

"This was not simply a matter of nationalists and unionists. The SDLP leadership's position was wrong. It was about those of us who want to move forward and build upon the progress made in recent years and those to hark back to the failed politics of the past," she added.

"I am delighted that the people of Fermanagh and South Tyrone have voted for the future and voted for equality, for unity, for jobs and for leadership."

Independent unionist candidate Rodney Connor said he was disappointed that unionists would continue to have no representation.

"I believe passionately that the people of Fermanagh and South Tyrone must be given the opportunity to have representation. Today four votes decided that they wouldn't and I have no doubt that that opportunity will be given. We have no voice at Westminster."

But he stressed: "There will be another time."

The SDLP vote plummeted. Fearghal McKinney, who had taken up the baton from Tommy Gallagher, saw the party's vote halved from 7,230 in 2005 to 3,574.

Overnight, Ms Gildernew had warned she would take legal action if she lost her seat, over rejected postal votes in the constituency. Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams later said that the party had been seeking legal advice as to whether to take the matter to court.

The Fermanagh & South Tyrone seat was won by Bobby Sands in 1981 when he was on hunger strike.

Since then, it changed hands between Nationalism and Unionism until Michelle Gildernew won it in 2001.

She was elected by just 53 votes, resulting in legal challenges after complaints about polling stations staying open too late.

The battle to win a Westminster seat in the North of Ireland has never been as close before, with a mere four votes decided the winning candidate in the constituency in 2010.