CAPTAIN TERENCE O'NEILL HELD HIS SEAT IN STORMONT - THE NORTHERN IRELAND PARLIAMENT - BY A MAJORITY OF OVER 1400 VOTERS ON ONE OF THE FIRST RESULT ANNOUNCED AFTER TODAY'S GENERAL ELECTION. EARLIER TODAY THE ULSTER PREMIER RECORDED HIS VOTE AT THE BALLMONTANA SCHOOL POLING STATION WHILE HIS OPPONENT MILITANT PROTESTANT LEADER THE REVEREND IAN PAISLEY AND MICHAEL FARRELL THE PEOPLE'S DEMOCRACY CANDIDATE - CONTINUED THEIR CANVASSING IN THE BANNSIDE CONSTITUENCY.

MR. PAISLEY, A FIERCE CRITIC OF CAPTAIN O'NEILL'S CONCILIATION POLICY TOWARDS NORTHERN IRELAND;S ROMAN CATHOLICS, WAS CAMPAIGNING UNDER THE SLOGAN OF 'NO PROPERTY HERE'. HE POLLED OVER 6,000 VOTES. WHEN THE RESULT WAS DECLARED MR. PAISLEY SAID THAT THE PREMIER'S NARROW VICTORY MEANT THE END OF CAPTAIN O'NEILL RULE OF NORTHERN IRELAND. HE ALSO SUGGESTED THAT THERE HAD BEEN IRREGULARITIES IN THE METHODS OF COUNTING THE BALLOT PAPERS.

CAPTAIN O'NEILL CALLED THE ELECTION THREE WEEKS AGO AFTER HIS PROTESTANT UNIONIST PARTY SPLIT OVER HIS POLICIES DESIGNED TO END THE STRIFE BETWEEN ROMAN AND PROTESTANTS. BEFORE THE ELECTION THE UNIONIST PARTY HELD 37 SEATS IN STORMONT AND THE COMBINED OPPOSITION HELD 15.

TWO OF CAPTAIN O'NEILL'S CRITICS HAVE BEEN ELECTED IN THE FIRST HALF DOZEN RESULTS DECLARED.