-----BEGIN PRIVACY-ENHANCED MESSAGE-----
Proc-Type: 2001,MIC-CLEAR
Originator-Name: webmaster@www.sec.gov
Originator-Key-Asymmetric:
 MFgwCgYEVQgBAQICAf8DSgAwRwJAW2sNKK9AVtBzYZmr6aGjlWyK3XmZv3dTINen
 TWSM7vrzLADbmYQaionwg5sDW3P6oaM5D3tdezXMm7z1T+B+twIDAQAB
MIC-Info: RSA-MD5,RSA,
 EaOJmgEP9I4orxRHkq8T+rGNOIaVVB0vYQnaNTG1sAsV0jMZ0uIz6Ajd5mLJ01Yr
 Bp59iN9NN/7X+K109K30YQ==

<SEC-DOCUMENT>0000940944-01-500041.txt : 20010710
<SEC-HEADER>0000940944-01-500041.hdr.sgml : 20010710
ACCESSION NUMBER:		0000940944-01-500041
CONFORMED SUBMISSION TYPE:	4
PUBLIC DOCUMENT COUNT:		1
CONFORMED PERIOD OF REPORT:	20010630
FILED AS OF DATE:		20010709

SUBJECT COMPANY:	

	COMPANY DATA:	
		COMPANY CONFORMED NAME:			DARDEN RESTAURANTS INC
		CENTRAL INDEX KEY:			0000940944
		STANDARD INDUSTRIAL CLASSIFICATION:	RETAIL-EATING PLACES [5812]
		IRS NUMBER:				593305930
		STATE OF INCORPORATION:			FL
		FISCAL YEAR END:			0526

	FILING VALUES:
		FORM TYPE:		4
		SEC ACT:		
		SEC FILE NUMBER:	001-13666
		FILM NUMBER:		1676632

	BUSINESS ADDRESS:	
		STREET 1:		5900 LAKE ELLENOR DR
		CITY:			ORLANDO
		STATE:			FL
		ZIP:			32809
		BUSINESS PHONE:		4072454000

	MAIL ADDRESS:	
		STREET 1:		5900 LAKE ELLENOR DRIVE
		CITY:			ORLANDO
		STATE:			FL
		ZIP:			32809

	FORMER COMPANY:	
		FORMER CONFORMED NAME:	GENERAL MILLS RESTAURANTS INC
		DATE OF NAME CHANGE:	19950313
<REPORTING-OWNER>

COMPANY DATA:	
	COMPANY CONFORMED NAME:			WALSH RICHARD J
	CENTRAL INDEX KEY:			0001018578
	STANDARD INDUSTRIAL CLASSIFICATION:	 []
<RELATIONSHIP>OFFICER

FILING VALUES:
	FORM TYPE:		4

BUSINESS ADDRESS:	
	STREET 1:		PO BOX 593330
	STREET 2:		C/O DARDEN RESTAURANTS INC
	CITY:			ORLANDO
	STATE:			FL
	ZIP:			32809
	BUSINESS PHONE:		4072454000

MAIL ADDRESS:	
	STREET 1:		5900 LAKE ELLENOR DRIVE
	CITY:			ORLANDO
	STATE:			FL
	ZIP:			32809
</REPORTING-OWNER>
</SEC-HEADER>
<DOCUMENT>
<TYPE>4
<SEQUENCE>1
<FILENAME>form4_070601rw.txt
<DESCRIPTION>FORM 4, RICHARD WALSH, 06/30/01
<TEXT>

                     U.S. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                              Washington, DC 20549

                                     FORM 4

                  STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP

    Filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934,
       Section 17(a) of the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935 or
               Section 30(f) of the Investment Company Act of 1940

[_]  Check box if no longer  subject to Section 16. Form 4 or Form 5 obligations
     may continue. See Instruction 1(b).

________________________________________________________________________________
1.   Name and Address of Reporting Person*

Walsh                           Richard                 J.
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
   (Last)                           (First)             (Middle)

5900 LAKE ELLENOR DRIVE
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                    (Street)

ORLANDO                                 FL              32859-3330
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
   (City)                           (State)              (Zip)

DARDEN RESTAURANTS, INC.     (DRI)
________________________________________________________________________________
2.   Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol



________________________________________________________________________________
3.   IRS Identification Number of Reporting Person, if an Entity (Voluntary)


6/2001
________________________________________________________________________________
4.   Statement for Month/Year



________________________________________________________________________________
5.   If Amendment, Date of Original (Month/Year)


________________________________________________________________________________
6.   Relationship of Reporting Person to Issuer
     (Check all applicable)

     [_]  Director                             [_]  10% Owner
     [X]  Officer (give title below)           [_]  Other (specify below)

SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT
________________________________________________________________________________
7.   Individual or Joint/Group Filing (Check applicable line)

     [X]  Form filed by one Reporting Person
     [_]  Form filed by more than one Reporting Person
________________________________________________________________________________


================================================================================
           Table I -- Non-Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of,
                             or Beneficially Owned
================================================================================
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                                                                                6.
                                                                 4.                              5.             Owner-
                                                                 Securities Acquired (A) or      Amount of      ship
                                                    3.           Disposed of (D)                 Securities     Form:     7.
                                                    Transaction  (Instr. 3, 4 and 5)             Beneficially   Direct    Nature of
                                      2.            Code         ------------------------------- Owned at End   (D) or    Indirect
1.                                    Transaction   (Instr. 8)                   (A)             of Month       Indirect  Beneficial
Title of Security                     Date          ------------     Amount      or     Price    (Instr. 3      (I)       Ownership
(Instr. 3)                            (mm/dd/yy)     Code     V                  (D)             and 4)         (Instr.4) (Instr. 4)
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S>                                   <C>            <C>      <C>    <C>         <C>    <C>      <C>            <C>       <C>

Common Stock                          06/01/01       F        V      527         D      27.60                   D
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                     2                                           1
Common Stock                          06/20/01        J            2,769         A      $0        28,576        D
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

====================================================================================================================================
</TABLE>
*    If the Form is filed by more than one  Reporting  Person,  see  Instruction
     4(b)(v).

Reminder: Report on a separate line for each class of securities beneficially
          owned directly or indirectly.

                            (Print or Type Response)                      (Over)

<PAGE>


FORM 4 (continued)

Table II -- Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned
         (e.g., puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities)

================================================================================
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                                                                                    10.
                                                                                                          9.        Owner-
                                                                                                          Number    ship
                                                                                                          of        Form
                    2.                                                                                    Deriv-    of
                    Conver-                    5.                              7.                         ative     Deriv-   11.
                    sion                       Number of                       Title and Amount           Secur-    ative    Nature
                    or                         Derivative    6.                of Underlying     8.       ities     Secur-   of
                    Exer-             4.       Securities    Date              Securities        Price    Bene-     ity:     In-
                    cise     3.       Trans-   Acquired (A)  Exercisable and   (Instr. 3 and 4)  of       ficially  Direct   direct
                    Price    Trans-   action   or Disposed   Expiration Date   ----------------  Deriv-   Owned     (D) or   Bene-
1.                  of       action   Code     of(D)         (Month/Day/Year)            Amount  ative    at End    In-      ficial
Title of            Deriv-   Date     (Instr.  (Instr. 3,    ----------------            or      Secur-   of        direct   Owner-
Derivative          ative    (Month/  8)       4 and 5)      Date     Expira-            Number  ity      Month     (I)      ship
Security            Secur-   Day/     ------   ------------  Exer-    tion               of      (Instr.  (Instr.   (Instr.  (Instr.
(Instr. 3)          ity      Year)    Code V    (A)   (D)    cisable  Date     Title     Shares  5)       4)        4)       4)
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S>                 <C>      <C>      <C>  <C>  <C>   <C>    <C>      <C>      <C>       <C>     <C>      <C>       <C>      <C>

Stock Options                                                                  Common
(Right to buy)      $25.635  06/20/01 A    V    28,500       06/20/04 06/20/11 Stock     28,500  $0       28,500    D
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

====================================================================================================================================
</TABLE>
Explanation of Responses:
1  Includes shares acquired pursuant to reinvestment of dividend on ESOP shares
   held in the Darden Restaurants, Inc. Savings Plan for all participants,
   including the reporting person.
2  Restricted Stock Award authorized by Darden Restaurants, Inc. Board of
   Directors.


- ---------------------------------------------            -----------------------
      **Signature of Reporting Person                             Date

        BY: DOUGLAS E. WENTZ, Attorney-in-fact

        WALSH, RICHARD J
        5900 LAKE ELLENOR DRIVE
        P.O. BOX 593330
        ORLANDO, FLORIDA  32859-3330
        DARDEN RESTAURANTS, INC. (DRI)
        06/2001

**     Intentional misstatements or omissions of facts constitute Federal
       Criminal Violations.

See 18 U.S.C. 1001 and 15 U.S.C. 78ff(a).

Note:  File three copies of this Form, one of which must be manually signed.
       If space provided is insufficient, see Instruction 6 for procedure.


                                                                          Page 2

</TEXT>
</DOCUMENT>
</SEC-DOCUMENT>
-----END PRIVACY-ENHANCED MESSAGE-----
