What the papers say

Journalist Mike Philpott takes a look at what is making the headlines in Friday's morning papers.

A front page cartoon in the Irish News shows Monica McWilliams and David Ford, among others, standing on a tiny island surrounded by what the paper calls the tribal tide.

Emerging from the waves on his own island is Dr Kieran Deeny, the hospital campaigner who topped the poll in West Tyrone.

And that's pretty much the tone of most of the election coverage.

Gerry Moriarty in the Irish Times writes that Sinn Fein and the DUP are driving forward, the SDLP are in reverse and the Ulster Unionists are stuck in neutral.

He says the Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern, was correct when he said the election would lead to a mess.

The News Letter concludes that it's certainly not dull. It says the poll helped to detonate some political explosions that may reverberate for years.

In its leader column, the paper says it's too early to offer a definitive view on the outcome - but it's surprised that the newly-elected MLAs will be entitled to 70% of their salaries.

Negative effects

It reckons the announcement by Secretary of State Paul Murphy makes him look like the paymaster to a bunch of puppets.

The Irish News comments that if the weather kept people at home and caused negative effects on the centre parties, it has to be the full responsibility of Tony Blair, who postponed the election in May.

That said, it believes that the focus is now on the IRA, which is in a position to change the wider political climate beyond recognition by demonstrating that its entire arsenal has been put beyond use.

After all, it says, that's the logical conclusion of the current republican strategy.

The paper's also saddened by the outcome for the Alliance Party and the Women's Coalition.

Alliance has made a distinguished contribution to politics for the last three decades, it says, while the Women's Coalition helped to inject a new sense of dynamism before and after the signing of the Good Friday Agreement.

The Irish Independent examines the SDLP's performance, and comments that no party could go to the polls without three giants like John Hume, Seamus Mallon and Brid Rodgers and expect to maintain the same profile.

'Audacious'

It also believes that success at the ballot box for Sinn Fein must now consign the Armalite to history.

Amid all the pictures of George Bush undertaking what the Times calls "one of the most audacious publicity coups in White House history" on his visit to Baghdad, the Daily Telegraph has news of another coup for Michael Howard.

According to the paper's latest opinion poll, the Tories are back on the political map.

It says they are two points ahead of Labour, with the Lib Dems trailing a poor third.

The paper says the findings will make uncomfortable reading for Tony Blair.

Finally, the Mail has the story of Mick Henry from Barnsley, who has discovered that not only is he a genuine native American, but he's a tribal chief as well.

Mr Henry, who had not been further from home than Benidorm, was traced on the internet by the Golden Eagle tribe in Canada.

He has travelled to Manitoba to meet them, but apparently they had some trouble understanding his broad Yorkshire accent.

Members of the clan are planning a trip to Barnsley, but the paper wonders what they will make of cloth caps, whippets and Emmerdale.