Ireland may reconfigure all but 2 top banks-c.bank

DUBLIN, July 14 (Reuters) - Ireland must help preserve its two biggest banks, Allied Irish Banks (ALBK.I) and Bank of Ireland (BKIR.I) and look at whether the others need to be reconfigured, central bank Governor John Hurley said on Tuesday.

"Clearly, we need the two main banks to be strong and to continue but we have to look at the rest of the sector and see what is the configuration of banking that this economy needs going forward," Hurley told a news conference.

Earlier on Tuesday, Hurley said the establishment of Ireland's bad bank project would raise the prospect of consolidation in the financial sector. (Reporting by Andras Gergely; editing by Padraic Halpin)