**Exhibit 31.1**

CERTIFICATIONS

I, Peyton R. Patterson certify that:

| 1.     | I have reviewed this quarterly report on Form 10-Q of NewAlliance Bancshares, Inc. (“the registrant”);                                                                                                                                                                                        |
|--------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|   |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    |
| 2.     | Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untruestatement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements made, in lightof the circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period coveredby this report; |
|   |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    |
| 3.     | Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and otherfinancial information included in this quarterly report, fairly present in all material respects thefinancial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the registrant as of, and for, the periodspresented in this report;          |
|   |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    |
| 4.     | The registrant’s other certifying officer and I are responsible forestablishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e)and 15d-15(e)) for the registrant and we have:                                                                       |

|   | a)     | designed such disclosure controlsand procedures, or caused such disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under our supervision, toensure that material information relating to the registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is madeknown to us by others within those entities, particularly during the period in which this quarterly report isbeing prepared; |
|--------|--------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|   |   |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 |
|   | b)     | evaluated the effectiveness ofthe registrant’s disclosure controls and procedures and presented in this report our conclusions about theeffectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as the end of the period covered by this reportbased on such evaluation; and                                                                                                   |
|   |   |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 |
|   | c)     | disclosed in this report anychange in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the registrant’smost recent fiscal quarter that has materially affected or is reasonably likely to materially affect, theregistrant’s internal control over financial reporting; and                                                            |

| 5. | The registrant’s other certifyingofficer and I have disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation, to the registrant’s auditors and the auditcommittee of the registrant’s board of directors (or persons performing the equivalentfunction): |
|----|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

|   | a)     | all significant deficiencies andmaterial weaknesses in the design or operation of the internal controls which are reasonably likely toadversely affect the registrant’s ability to record, process, summarize and report financial information;and |
|--------|--------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|   |   |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    |
|   | b)     | any fraud, whether or notmaterial, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the registrant’sinternal control over financial reporting.                                                                           |

Date:       November 8, 2005

|   | /s/ Peyton R. Patterson                                                                   |
|--------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|   | Peyton R. Patterson                                                                       |
|   | Chairman of the Board, President and Chief Executive Officer(principal executive officer) |