Since 1921, there have been three different prime ministerial offices in Northern Ireland. The most recent devolved cabinet is the Northern Ireland Executive, established under the Good Friday Agreement. The Executive has been in operation, intermittently, since 1999; but had existed continuously since 2007, but after elections following a government collapsed on 16 January 2017, no Executive was formed until January 2020, when the parties came to an agreement and an Executive was subsequently established. The most recent structure, the Office of the First Minister and deputy First Minister, represents a diarchy. As such, there is no longer a singular executive office, but rather a dual office.
Offices Head Cabinet Date Prime Minister Government 7 June 1921 – 30 March 1972 Chief Executive Executive (Sunningdale) 1 January 1974 – 28 May 1974 First Minister and deputy First Minister Executive Since 1 July 1998
List of officeholders Portrait Name Term of office Political party Election Government Took office Left office Time in office 1 Sir James Craig 7 June 1921 24 November 1940 Ulster Unionist Party 19211925192919331938 Craigavon ministry 2 John Miller Andrews 25 November 1940 1 May 1943 Ulster Unionist Party — Andrews ministry 3 Sir Basil Brooke 1 May 1943 25 March 1963 Ulster Unionist Party 19451949195319581962 Brookeborough ministry 4 Terence O'Neill 25 March 1963 1 May 1969 Ulster Unionist Party 19651969 O'Neill ministry 5 James Chichester-Clark 1 May 1969 23 March 1971 Ulster Unionist Party — Chichester-Clark ministry 6 Brian Faulkner 23 March 1971 30 March 1972 Ulster Unionist Party — Faulkner ministry 1 January 1974 28 May 1974 1973 1974 Executive First Ministers 1 David Trimble 1 July 1998 14 October 2002 Ulster Unionist Party 1998 First Executive 2 Ian Paisley 8 May 2007 5 June 2008 Democratic Unionist Party 2007 Second Executive 3 Peter Robinson 5 June 2008 11 January 2016 Democratic Unionist Party 2011 Second ExecutiveThird Executive 4 Arlene Foster 11 January 2016 9 January 2017 Democratic Unionist Party 20162017 Fourth Executive 11 January 2020 14 June 2021 Fifth Executive 5 Paul Givan 17 June 2021 3 February 2022 Democratic Unionist Party — 6 Michelle O'Neill 3 February 2024 Incumbent Sinn Féin 2022 Sixth Executive Deputy First Ministers 1 Seamus Mallon 1 July 1998 6 November 2001 Social Democratic and Labour Party 1998 First Executive 2 Mark Durkan 6 November 2001 14 October 2002 Social Democratic and Labour Party — First Executive 3 Martin McGuinness 8 May 2007 9 January 2017 Sinn Féin 200720112016 Second ExecutiveThird ExecutiveFourth Executive 4 Michelle O'Neill 11 January 2020 3 February 2022 Sinn Féin 2017 Fifth Executive 5 Emma Little-Pengelly 3 February 2024 Incumbent Democratic Unionist Party 2022 Sixth Executive
Timeline
Notes
See also History of Northern Ireland Politics of Northern Ireland List of Irish heads of government