For Irish businesses, all eyes on sterling  through Sunday on Brexit talks

The sterling rate matters a great deal to a wide range of Irish firms that export and import goods and services across the Irish Sea.

On the eve of the Brexit referendum in June 2016, sterling was trading at around 74 pence against the euro. By the time the dust settled on the surprise result, the UK currency had fallen all the way to 81 pence, and over subsequent years traded at well below 90 pence. 

Since the referendum, sterling has been a reliable measure of investor worries about the prospects of Britain crashing out of the EU without a comprehensive trade deal.