Dr Richard Clarke elected Primate of All Ireland

The Most Rev Dr Richard Clarke has been elected as Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland following the retirement of Archbishop Alan Harper last month.

Dr Clarke is currently serving as the Bishop of Meath and Kildare.

He will take up office on 15 December, when he is enthroned in St Patrick's Cathedral, Armagh.

He becomes the 105th Archbishop of Armagh.

Following the announcement of his election in St Anne’s Cathedral, Belfast, Dr Clarke said he would be "deeply saddened" to leave Meath and Kildare after 16 years there, but added that he was looking forward to the joys and challenges of his new role as Archbishop of Armagh.

"I truly feel neither worthy of the heritage into which I am to enter nor adequate for the tasks that lie ahead," he said.

"The God of Christian belief is, however, a God of grace rather than a god who looks for human self-sufficiency.

"All I can pledge is that I will give this task the very best of which I am capable, and the prayer of all of us must be that God in his grace will enable some good to come from this."