Memorable issue for all the wrong reasons

It wasn't a great week for CRH and it had nothing to do with revelations about directors' pay. News that CRH chief executive Liam O'Mahony secured a higher remuneration package before pension provisions than even AIB's Tom Mulcahy is interesting but not extraordinary. After all, CRH has been one of the busiest firms in the market, acquiring and integrating operations around the world without a hiccup.

All the more annoying, then, for the high profile and efficient building materials group that its rights issue - the largest by an Irish firm - will be remembered more for someone getting figures wrong than for the success of the issue itself.

It appears human error was responsible for the fact that 8.2 million shares, on which existing shareholders exercised their rights were subsequently placed with other institutions. Of course, the error was not CRH's but that of its registrar, a separate firm. Unfortunately, as always, it will be the name of the company in which people invested that will linger in the memory, not that of the registrar. Rough justice.