<Table> <Tr> <Th colspan="5"> First Minister of Northern Ireland </Th> <Th colspan="5"> deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland </Th> <Th> Government </Th> <Th> Elections </Th> </Tr> <Tr> <Th colspan="2"> Name ( Birth -- Death ) Constituency </Th> <Th> Portrait </Th> <Th colspan="2"> Term of office </Th> <Th colspan="2"> Name ( Birth -- Death ) Constituency </Th> <Th> Portrait </Th> <Th colspan="2"> Term of office </Th> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> David Trimble ( 1944 -- ) Upper Bann </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 1 July 1998 </Td> <Td> 1 July 2001 </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Seamus Mallon ( 1936 -- ) Newry and Armagh </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 1 July 1998 </Td> <Td> 6 November 2001 </Td> <Td> First Executive </Td> <Td> 1998 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td colspan="2"> Reg Empey was acting First Minister during this interval . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 6 November 2001 </Td> <Td> 14 October 2002 </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Mark Durkan ( born 1960 ) Foyle </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 6 November 2001 </Td> <Td> 14 October 2002 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td colspan="11"> Office vacant </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 2003 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> Ian Paisley ( 1926 -- 2014 ) North Antrim </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 8 May 2007 </Td> <Td> 5 June 2008 </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Martin McGuinness ( 1950 -- 2017 ) Mid Ulster </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 8 May 2007 </Td> <Td> 20 September 2011 </Td> <Td> Second Executive </Td> <Td> 2007 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> Peter Robinson ( 1948 -- ) Belfast East </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 5 June 2008 </Td> <Td> 11 January 2010 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td colspan="2"> Arlene Foster was acting First Minister during this interval . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 3 February 2010 </Td> <Td> 10 September 2015 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Third Executive </Td> <Td> 2011 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td colspan="2"> John O'Dowd was acting deputy First Minister during this interval . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 31 October 2011 </Td> <Td> 9 January 2017 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td colspan="2"> Arlene Foster was acting First Minister during this interval . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 20 October 2015 </Td> <Td> 11 January 2016 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> Arlene Foster ( 1970 -- ) Fermanagh and South Tyrone </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 11 January 2016 </Td> <Td> 9 January 2017 </Td> <Td> Fourth Executive </Td> <Td> 2016 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td colspan="11"> Office vacant </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 2017 </Td> </Tr> </Table>
who was the first minister of northern ireland
David Trimble Ian Paisley Peter Robinson Arlene Foster