Buckley to Head Up New Allied Irish Banks, p.l.c. Polish Division.

DUBLIN, Ireland--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 6, 1999--

Allied Irish Banks, p.l.c. ("AIB") [NYSE: AIB;AIBPR:FMBPR] is to appoint Michael Buckley, Executive Director of AIB Group, as the head of its newly created Polish Division.

Mr Buckley, currently Managing Director of AIB Capital Markets, will take responsibility at Group Executive and Board level for the new division which has been created to maximise the opportunities of AIB's acquisitions in Poland. AIB recently agreed to buy an 80% share of Wroclaw-based Bank Zachodni. It already owns 60% of Poznan-based WBK.

AIB Group Chief Executive Tom Mulcahy said: "The continuing success of our Polish business is a key part of AIB Group's international diversification and central to our objective of delivering strong earnings growth to our shareholders."

" We now have two very strong regional franchises in Poland which provide us with excellent opportunities for both staff and business development. In recognition of the critical importance of the successful development of this division we need to have our best and most experienced colleagues involved in the strategic direction of our Polish franchise. I am, therefore, delighted to announce that Michael Buckley will head the new Polish operation - which will be a fully-fledged division of AIB Group."

Mr Buckley will continue to serve on the board of Allfirst and will also have responsibility at Group Executive level for AIB's strategic alliance with Keppel TatLee Bank in Singapore.

Mr Buckley's appointment is the first stage in the development of the Polish division. Together WBK and Bank Zachodni have 346 branches and 332 ATMs. AIB has to date committed in excess of (pound)600m (US$800m) in capital to the Polish expansion.

A Chief Operating Officer will shortly be appointed to Bank Zachodni. Other key appointments will follow.