Record mergers and acquisitions

A record €39.3bn worth of mergers and acquisitions were recorded in Ireland in the opening half of 2014, representing a dramatic increase on the same period a year previously.

The increase was largely driven by the €33.9bn acquisition of Dublin-based healthcare company Covidien by US medical manufacturer Medtronic.

According to the William Fry Mid-Year M&A Review 2014, the first six months of the year have also shown a significant increase in the volume of activity in the Irish M&A market compared with 2013 levels for the same period.