The death has taken place at the age of 90 of Mr John Sisk, a former chairman of John Sisk & Sons, one of the country's largest building contracting firms.

Born in Cork in 1911, Mr Sisk - an engineer by training - retired as chairman of Sisk in 1974 when the management of the company passed on to the next generation of the company.

Mr Sisk, who was also a nonexecutive director of Allied Irish Banks from 1973 to 1979, is survived by his children Hope, George, Hal and John and his sister Feena.