ALL AT PEACE; Ahern praises Ulster deal as his greatest achievement after he wins third election.

Byline: By SENAN HOGAN

HELPING bring peace to Northern Ireland is Bertie Ahern's biggest achievement in office, he said yesterday.

And such is the change in cross-border relations that one of the first people to congratulate the Taoiseach on his third term in power was First Minister and DUP leader Ian Paisley.

As the Taoiseach prepared to go into talks today with potential coalition partners, he celebrated his triumph yesterday with new grandsons Rocco and Jay.

The hat-trick Taoiseach beamed as he posed for his first official pictures with the twins, daughter Georgina and Westlife son-in-law Nicky Byrne.

But before talking of coalition he spoke of his finest achievement in power, saying: "The answer to that is easy for me.

"It is moving from the horrors of Northern Ireland - that I went to school with, spent my teenage years with, spent my 20s with, spent my political years with - to see that solved.

"Nothing I will do will ever beat that."

Mr Ahern said he had been congratulated "at length" on his election performance by Prime Minister Tony Blair and Mr Paisley as well as other EU leaders.

Mr Ahern's Fianna Fail party won 41.6 per cent of the vote in Thursday's general election leaving rival parties trailing badly.

And it was commiserations for Sinn Fein as they were left licking their wounds after their expected gains never materialised.

Instead, it was a reversal of fortune for the republican party compared with previous elections, as it lost Sean Crowe's Dublin South West seat to Fianna Gael's Brian Hayes, decreasing its numbers from five to four.

The 30th Dail election campaign was billed as being Sinn Fein's breakthrough year with party leader Gerry Adams hoping to make electoral gains on the back of the feel-good factor following the restoration of power to Stormont.

But the party's poor performance was laid bare when rising star Mary Lou McDonald failed to grab the Dublin Central seat as expected.

Sinn Fein went into the election with Mr Adams and Martin McGuinness predicting they would return to the Irish parliament with more TDs.

As they return with fewer, the only crumb of comfort they have is in the two Donegal constituencies where they have teed themselves up for possible gains the next time around.

The failure of Sinn Fein to make advances in the election is arguably the biggest blow in Mr Adams's career so far. Some in the party will also question the wisdom of Mr Adams spearheading an election campaign where he isn't even fighting for a seat or casting a vote.

After a 78-seat victory against the odds, Mr Ahern now favours a deal with the Progressive Democrats and a number of Independents to muster a Dail majority.

The PDs, who lost six of their eight seats, yesterday asked outgoing Health Minister Mary Harney to assume the leadership of the party following the resignation of Michael McDowell from the top post.

Mr Ahern said he will consult with senior Fianna Fail party colleagues and is expected to establish a small negotiating team to liaise with the PDs and three Independents. Meanwhile, the Republic's Opposition leader Enda Kenny still refuses to concede defeat and believes an "Alliance for Change" - consisting of several parties banding together - have an outside possibility of going into power.

Mr Kenny said: "My responsibility as the leader of Fine Gael with a hugely increased mandate is to go and talk to the leaders of these groups who are still standing. "The figures make for a government from either way.

"We have to reflect on where we are - do you want 15 years of one party in government or are we prepared to change that because more than 50 per cent voted against the government."

Dismissing any speculation on his leadership, he added: "I intend to give young blood in Fine Gael its opportunity to present its case and work for the future."

Meanwhile, Labour leader Pat Rabbitte is meeting his parliamentary party on Wednesday to assess its poor performance.

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CAPTION(S):

BOY, OH, BOY: Bertie Ahern with daughter Georgina, son-in-law Nicky and grandsons Rocco and Jay yesterday LOSERS: Sean Crowe & Mary Lou McDonald