CRH chairman Mr Tony Barry has exercised options over 100,000 shares and has given 40,000 of these shares - worth more than £540,000 (€685,658) - away as a gift. Mr Barry bought the 100,000 shares at an option price of £2.3066, held on to 20,000, gave 40,000 away as a gift and sold another 40,000 into the market at €17.00 (£13.39) to realise €680,000 (£535,544).

Another CRH director, Mr Brian Griffin, has sold 7,000 shares for a total of £90,778.