Church of Ireland Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland Dr Richard Clarke has retired from both positions. Last November, he had announced his intention to to retire at the start of February.
A successor has yet to be chosen from among the Church of Ireland's House of Bishops, which number 12, but the man believed most likely to succeed is the current Bishop of Clogher, John McDowell.
Dr Clarke (70) has served as a bishop in the Church of Ireland for 23 years.
He served as bishop of Meath and Kildare from 1996 to 2012, before being elected as Archbishop of Armagh in October 2012.
Announcing his intention to retire during his presidential address at the Armagh Diocesan Synod three months ago Dr Clarke expressed his gratitude to the diocese and others throughout the Church of Ireland for their support during his tenure as archbishop.
“This time in Armagh has truly been a very agreeable experience for me, and for this I humbly thank God for the great privilege I was given in being appointed as primate seven years ago, and I also thank all of you for your constant encouragement, your friendship, your prayers, your support and your patience,” he said.
