| 1st Northern Ireland Assembly | |
| Body: | Assembly |
| Country: | Northern Ireland |
| Meeting Place: | Parliament Buildings, Stormont |
| Election: | 1998 assembly election |
| Government: | Executive of the 1st Assembly |
| Term Start: | 1 July 1998 |
| Term End: | 14 October 2002 |
| Before: | Forum |
| After: | 2nd Assembly |
| Membership1: | 108 |
| Chamber1 Leader1 Type: | Speaker |
| Chamber1 Leader1: | Lord Alderdice |
| Chamber1 Leader2 Type: | First Minister |
| Chamber1 Leader2: | David Trimble — Reg Empey — David Trimble |
| Chamber1 Leader3 Type: | Deputy First Minister |
| Chamber1 Leader3: | Mark Durkan — Seamus Mallon |
| Session1 Start: | 1 July 1998 |
| Session1 End: | 9 March 1999 |
| Session2 Start: | 15 July 1999 |
| Session2 End: | 8 February 2000 |
| Session3 Start: | 5 June 2000 |
| Session3 End: | 4 July 2000 |
| Session4 Start: | 11 September 2000 |
| Session4 End: | 4 July 2001 |
| Session5 Start: | 10 September 2001 |
| Session5 End: | 3 July 2002 |
| Session6 Start: | 9 September 2002 |
| Session6 End: | 14 October 2002 |
This is a list of the 108 members of the first Northern Ireland Assembly, the unicameral devolved legislature of Northern Ireland established by the Good Friday Agreement. Members (fully Members of the Legislative Assembly, MLAs) elected in June 1998 are listed,[1] as well as those subsequently co-opted to replace those who had resigned or deceased.[2] MLAs are grouped by party, and changes in party affiliation are noted.
| Party | Designation | Jun 1998 election | Oct 2002 end | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ● | Unionist | 28 | 27 | ||
| ● | Nationalist | 24 | 23 | ||
| ● | Unionist | 20 | 20 | ||
| ● | Sinn Féin | Nationalist | 18 | 18 | |
| Other | 6 | 5 | |||
| Unionist | 5 | 1 | |||
| Progressive Unionist Party | Unionist | 2 | 2 | ||
| Northern Ireland Women's Coalition | Other | 2 | 2 | ||
| United Unionist Coalition | Unionist | - | 3 | ||
| Northern Ireland Unionist Party | Unionist | - | 3 | ||
| Independent | Nationalist | 0 | 1 | ||
| Independent | Unionist | 3 | 2 | ||
| None | 0 | 1 | |||
| Totals by designation | Unionist | 58 | 58 | ||
| Nationalist | 42 | 42 | |||
| Other | 8 | 5 | |||
| None | 0 | 1 | |||
| Total | 108 | ||||
| ● = Northern Ireland Executive | |||||
This is a list of MLAs elected to the Northern Ireland Assembly in the 1998 Northern Ireland Assembly election, sorted by party.
† Co-opted to replace an elected MLA
‡ Changed affiliation during the term
The list is given in alphabetical order by constituency.
| Date co-opted | Constituency | Party | Outgoing | Co-optee | Reason | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 December 2000 | Foyle | John Hume | Annie Courtney | Resignation of John Hume. | ||
| 22 January 2001 | Strangford | Tom Benson | Tom Hamilton | Death of Tom Benson. | ||
| 9 September 2002 | East Londonderry | Arthur Doherty | Michael Coyle | Death of Arthur Doherty. | ||
| Date | Constituency | Name | Previous affiliation | New affiliation | Circumstance | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21 September 1998 | Belfast North | Fraser Agnew | Fraser Agnew established a new political party to access facilities provided to Assembly parties. | ||||
| 21 September 1998 | East Londonderry | Boyd Douglas | Boyd Douglas established a new political party to access facilities provided to Assembly parties. | ||||
| 21 September 1998 | Upper Bann | Denis Watson | Denis Watson established a new political party to access facilities provided to Assembly parties. | ||||
| 4 January 1999 | Strangford | Cedric Wilson | Cedric Wilson left the UKUP in response to proposals from Robert McCartney to resign their Assembly seats in opposition to Sinn Féin participating in the Executive. | ||||
| 4 January 1999 | South Antrim | Norman Boyd | Norman Boyd left the UKUP in response to proposals from Robert McCartney to resign their Assembly seats in opposition to Sinn Féin participating in the Executive. | ||||
| 4 January 1999 | Lagan Valley | Patrick Roche | Patrick Roche left the UKUP in response to proposals from Robert McCartney to resign their Assembly seats in opposition to Sinn Féin participating in the Executive. | ||||
| 4 January 1999 | East Antrim | Roger Hutchinson | Roger Hutchinson left the UKUP in response to proposals from Robert McCartney to resign their Assembly seats in opposition to Sinn Féin participating in the Executive. | ||||
| 24 March 1999 | Strangford | Cedric Wilson | Cedric Wilson established the NIUP having recently left the UKUP. | ||||
| 24 March 1999 | South Antrim | Norman Boyd | Norman Boyd established the NIUP having recently left the UKUP. | ||||
| 24 March 1999 | Lagan Valley | Patrick Roche | Patrick Roche established the NIUP having recently left the UKUP. | ||||
| 24 March 1999 | East Antrim | Roger Hutchinson | Roger Hutchinson established the NIUP having recently left the UKUP. | ||||
| 1 December 1999 | East Antrim | Roger Hutchinson | Roger Hutchinson expelled from the NIUP for sitting on Assembly committees against party policy. | ||||
| 5 July 2000 | Upper Bann | Denis Watson | Denis Watson joined the DUP. | ||||
| 2 November 2001 | East Londonderry | Pauline Armitage | Pauline Armitage suspended from the UUP for voting against the party whip. | ||||
| 9 November 2001 | North Down | Peter Weir | Peter Weir expelled from the UUP for refusing to support the re-nomination of David Trimble as First Minister. | ||||
| 1 April 2002 | East Antrim | Roger Hutchinson | Roger Hutchinson joined the DUP. | ||||
| 30 April 2002 | North Down | Peter Weir | Peter Weir joined the DUP. | ||||
| 11 November 2002 | North Antrim | Gardiner Kane | Gardiner Kane resigned from the DUP. | ||||
| 1 April 2003 | Foyle | Annie Courtney | Annie Courtney resigned from the SDLP after not being re-selected by the party as a candidate for the 2003 Assembly election. | ||||
| 12 June 2003 | East Londonderry | Pauline Armitage | Pauline Armitage resigned her membership of UUP and joined the UKUP. | ||||
| 18 October 2003 | East Antrim | Roger Hutchinson | Roger Hutchinson resigned from the DUP to contest the 2003 Assembly election as an independent unionist. | ||||