Lyons Irish Holdings has changed its year end to end-December. The company has extended its year end from August 15th to bring it into line with that of its majority shareholder Unilever plc. In a statement issued yesterday to the Stock Exchange, the company said it would provide full comparability with earlier statements.

Lyons will pay a second interim dividend to shareholders in December 1997. Unilever has an 80.6 per cent stake in the company.