The Church of Ireland Bishop of Limerick and Killaloe, the Right Rev Edward Darling, announced to his diocese yesterday that he would be retiring in July.
Dr Darling issued a pastoral letter and announced to members of his diocese in St Mary's Cathedral, Limerick, that he would retire on July 31st, one week after his 67th birthday. He was elected bishop almost 15 years ago and has spent 44 years in the ministry.
Dr Darling said he would be spending part of his retirement gardening and being more relaxed than he has been after doing a lot of travelling. His diocese, with about 3,500 members and 65 churches, is the largest geographically in the Republic, estimated to be 11/2 times the size of Northern Ireland. It takes in parts of Roscommon, Galway, Offaly, Laois and Tipperary, and all of Clare, Limerick and Kerry.
From Cork, he followed his father, Vivian Darling, who was the Archdeacon of Cloyne into the ministry. His maternal grandfather, Dr William Edward Flawett, was Bishop of Cork from 1933 to 1938.
Dr Darling was educated in Midleton College in Cork and St John's School, Leatherhead, in England.
He trained for ordination in Trinity College Dublin, and was ordained in St Anne's Cathedral, Belfast, in 1956.
He spent most of his ministry in the North, working in the parishes of St Luke's, St John's, Orangefield, and St John's, Malone, in Belfast, and in the new parish of St Gall's, Carnalea, in Bangor. He was elected Bishop of Limerick and Killaloe in 1985. He is married to Patricia Mann, and they have three sons and two daughters.
Dr Darling is editor of the new edition of the Church of Ireland's Church Hymnal which will be published in September.
He has been outspoken on education matters, ecumenical relations and the North. In 1998 he opposed proposals at the Church of Ireland synod for a reduction of dioceses from 12 to 10. His successor will be elected by the Episcopal Electoral College, consisting of representatives from the dioceses of the Dublin Province.