Gaiety for sale only beyond asking price

Break for the Border will not sell Dublin's Gaiety Theatre if the group does not get its asking price, the theatre director, Mr John Costigan, said yesterday. Mr Costigan said there were up to five parties interested in the 1,116-seat venue, although not all of these are expected to have made indicative bids by yesterday's closing date for such offers. A guide price of £2.8 million has been put on the 126year-old premises, the same amount for which it was bought from Mr Gerry O'Reilly in January, 1996. However, with at least two companies - MCD, which owns the Olympia and Apollo Leisure, which has an interest in the Point Depot - in the running for ownership, the price can be expected to rise above £3 million.