Irish shares gain on hopes for sterling and Brexit chaos to lift

Irish shares tapped into a cautious upswing in stock markets hopeful that a Brexit deal will get done even if Theresa May fails next week to get her withdrawal deal through the House of Commons, at the third time of asking.

Shares as diverse as Bank of Ireland and Irish Ferries-owner ICG, as well as the Irish stock market-listed housebuilders, have been weighed down by Brexit uncertainty since the UK voted to leave the EU in the summer of 2016.