Party Leaders
Party leaders serving 10 years or more are
| Leader | Years | Party/Period | Constituency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ian Paisley | 42y | Protestant Unionist Party 1966–1971 Democratic Unionist Party 1971–2008 |
Bannside, North Antrim |
| Ruairí Ó Brádaigh | 36y | Sinn Féin 1970–1983 Republican Sinn Féin 1986–present |
|
| William Norton | 28y | Irish Labour 1932–1960 | |
| Tomás Mac Giolla | 26y | Sinn Féin 1962–1970 Official Sinn Féin 1970–1977 Sinn Féin The Workers Party 1977–1982 Workers' Party 1982–1988 |
|
| Gerry Adams | 26y | Sinn Féin 1983–present | West Belfast, Louth |
| Hugh Smyth | 23y | Progressive Unionist Party 1979–2002 | |
| John Hume | 22y | Social Democratic and Labour Party 1979–2001 | Foyle |
| Albert McElroy | 19y | Ulster Liberal Party 1956–1975 (?) | |
| Lord Craigavon | 19y | Ulster Unionist Party 1921–1940 | Down, North Down |
| John Redmond | 18y | Irish Parliamentary Party 1900–1918 | Waterford City |
| Lord Brookeborough | 17y | Ulster Unionist Party 1946–1963 | Lisnaskea |
| James Molyneaux | 16y | Ulster Unionist Party 1979–1995 | South Antrim, Lagan Valley |
| Joseph Devlin | 16y | Nationalist Party 1918–1934 | Belfast Falls, Fermanagh and Tyrone, Belfast Central |
| Gerry Fitt | 15y | Republican Labour Party 1964–1970 Social Democratic and Labour Party 1970–1979 |
Belfast West, Belfast Dock |
| James Kilfedder | 15y | Ulster Popular Unionist Party 1980–1995 | North Down |
| Margaret Buckley | 13y | Sinn Féin 1937–1950 | |
| Robert McCartney | 13y | UK Unionist Party 1995–2008 | North Down |
| James McSparran | 13y | Nationalist Party 1945–1958 | Mourne |
| Oliver Napier | 12y | Alliance Party 1972–1984 | |
| Thomas Joseph Campbell | 11y | Nationalist Party 1934–1945 | Belfast Central |
| Sir Edward Carson | 11y | Ulster Unionist Party 1910–1921 | Dublin University, Belfast Duncairn |
| John Alderdice | 11y | Alliance Party 1987–1998 | |
| David Trimble | 10y | Ulster Unionist Party 1995–2005 | Upper Bann |
Read more about this topic: Political Parties In Northern Ireland
Famous quotes containing the words party and/or leaders:
“Good government cannot be found on the bargain-counter. We have seen samples of bargain-counter government in the past when low tax rates were secured by increasing the bonded debt for current expenses or refusing to keep our institutions up to the standard in repairs, extensions, equipment, and accommodations. I refuse, and the Republican Party refuses, to endorse that method of sham and shoddy economy.”
—Calvin Coolidge (1872–1933)
“Most of the ladies and gentlemen who mourn the passing of the nation’s leaders wouldn’t know a leader if they saw one. If they had the bad luck to come across a leader, they would find out that he might demand something from them, and this impertinence would put an abrupt and indignant end to their wish for his return.”
—Lewis H. Lapham (b. 1935)