Brian Faulkner (1921-1977) was the last prime minister (1971-1972) of Northern Ireland under Great Britain's experiment in devolution that began in 1921.

Arthur Brian Deane Faulkner was unusual in being from a strictly business rather than a landed background. Born on February 18, 1921, and educated at St. Columba's College, Dublin, he entered the family firm, The Belfast Collar Company, at the age of 18 and simultaneously began farming 120 acres of land for wartime food production. In 1949, at age 28, he entered the Northern Ireland parliament for the East Down constituency, retaining the seat until the end of that parliament's life. Government chief whip from 1956 to 1959, he became minister for home affairs in 1959 and served as minister of commerce from 1963 to 1969, when he resigned from Terence O'Neill's government.

Faulkner returned to office under Chichester-Clark as minister of development, 1969-1971, before becoming prime minister (with home affairs), 1971-1972. Subsequently he served as chief executive...