Availability of Rights Issue Documentation

NOT FOR RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION, IN WHOLE OR IN PART, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, TO US PERSONS OR IN OR INTO OR FROM THE UNITED STATES, AUSTRALIA, NEW ZEALAND, SOUTH AFRICA, JAPAN, CANADA OR SWITZERLAND OR ANY JURISDICTION WHERE TO DO SO WOULD CONSTITUTE A VIOLATION OF THE RELEVANT LAWS OF SUCH JURISDICTION.

The Governor & Company of the Bank of Ireland ("Bank of Ireland")

Bank of Ireland announces that it has published and posted a Provisional Allotment Letter and a Rights Issue Guide to Stockholders today. 

Copies of the Provisional Allotment Letter and Rights Issue Guide will be available on request in hard copy free of charge from the Bank's registered office (Bank of Ireland, 40 Mespil Road, Dublin 4) and on the Bank of Ireland website at www.bankofireland.com/investor.

Copies of the Provisional Allotment Letter and Rights Issue Guide have been forwarded to the Irish Stock Exchange and will shortly be available for inspection at the following location:

Company Announcements Office,

Irish Stock Exchange,

28 Anglesea Street,

Dublin 2,

Ireland.

Tel: + 353 1 6174200

and on the following website:

http://www.hemscott.com/nsm.do

11 July 2011

Enquiries

Helen Nolan, Group Secretary

+353 76 6234710

This announcement does not constitute or form a part of any offer or solicitation to purchase or subscribe for securities in the United States. Any securities referred to herein (the "Securities") have not been, and will not be, registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933 (the "Securities Act"). The Securities may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an applicable exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act. There will be no public offer of the Securities in the United States.