The party suffered a number of losses - the most significant being the defeat of party president and leader in Gwynedd, Dafydd Iwan, and Richard Parry Hughes, former Gwynedd council leader.

Both lost their seats to Llais Gwynedd candidates, as the party set up to oppose Plaid's controversial primary school reorganisation took 12 seats.

Plaid themselves took 35 seats, with 16 going to independents, five to the Welsh Liberal Democrats, four for Welsh Labour and two to unaffiliated candidates.

And this afternoon (Fri), a massive number of voters crashed the Gwynedd Council website whilst searching for the results.

Meanwhile on Anglesey, independents retained control of the authority.

Despite losing nine seats, they finished up with 22 seats on the council, compared to eight for Plaid Cymru and five for Welsh Labour.

On an election day with a 54 per cent turn out, Welsh Conservatives and Welsh Liberal Democrats won two seats appiece, and one seat went to an unaffiliated candidate.

In total, 15 members of the old council lost their seats, including Bessie Burns, John Arthur Jones, John Meirion Davies and David Lewis Roberts.