Successful outcome to deal could catapult First Active chief to greater things

WHEN the Eircom dream turned to dust, thousands of novice shareholders walked away from the stock markets, many of them never to return.

But this autumn, the dream was reawakened with the news that Ulster Bank's parent, Royal Bank of Scotland was paying almost €900 million euro for a company, which three years ago, was on the floor.

One hundred and forty thousand shareholders awoke to the news that they stood to receive between €3,000 and just under €6,150 each under the proposed takeover deal.