The Archbishop of Dublin, the Most Reverend Dr Walton Empey, is to retire on Wednesday, 31 July 2002.

Dr Empey was elected Archbishop of Dublin, Bishop of Glendalough, Primate of Ireland and Metropolitan, by the Episcopal Electoral College on 26 April 1996 and enthroned in Christ Church Cathedral on 16 June 1996.

The 61st Archbishop of Dublin he will be 68 in October. In retirement he and his wife, Louise, will reside in Rathmore, Co Carlow.

Dr Empey has been 21 years a bishop having first been elected Bishop of Limerick & Killaloe in January 1981. From 1985 – 96 he was Bishop of Meath & Kildare.

Hugely popular he has a great ability to relate to different kinds of people of all ages. Despite his genial manner, however, he could be outspoken and was not afraid to make public pronouncements on a range of issues affecting Irish society including racism and corruption in public life.

A feature of his ministry has been his encouragement to young church members to enter public life and to enlist in the Defence Forces and the Garda Siochana. As a young man he served in the FCA and was a three-star private when he left in 1957.

As archbishop he was much concerned about Third World Debt and took part in public demonstrations on a number of occasions.