It was a mixed day on the Irish market which ended down 46.7 points at 5,784.24. Galen retreated €1.05 to €14.70 despite posting results in line with market expectations - the drop most likely reflecting profit-taking.

Eircom dropped 25 cents to close at €2.92, due partly to poor sentiment in the European telecoms sector which was trading down on the day and also to a degree of nervousness about the lack of any firm announcement on the corporate deals involving the company.

The tale of woe at Fyffes continued with its share dipping even lower than yesterday's 10-year closing low. It eventually closed the day two cents down at 70 cents.

There was good demand for Bank of Ireland. It advanced 10 cents to €9.12. AIB lost three cents, dropping to €12.92, with just 900,000 shares traded. There was little trading in Anglo Irish Bank's stock ahead of its results. It gained two cents on the day to close at €2.78.

CRH clawed back some of the losses of the past week, picking up 37 cents to finish at €16.50. United Drug also made up its 20 cent loss of the previous day to close at €9.10

Also firmer on the day were Bioglan Pharma, up €5.01 1/2 to €8.76, and CGNU which traded up €1.46 to €17.71. Volatility on the Nasdaq again affected Irish stocks. As the Irish market closed the Nasdaq had dropped 3.59 per cent, with the Irish tech stocks trading down.

Trintech had retreated by more than 12 per cent to $8.56 1/4. Baltimore had lost 10.8 per cent and was trading at $9.81 1/4, while Riverdeep was trading just over 1 per cent down at $21.75. Iona had dropped back 0.40 per cent to $62.75.