The ISEQ index of shares fell back from yesterday's highs, ending today's session down 32.88 points at 7889.3.

ARDAGH GLASS has bought the British glass business of packaging giant Rexam for £50 million (€72m.)

South Wharf, the publicly-quoted glass company that spun off from Ardagh Glass, has announced pre-tax losses of €1.2m for the first half of the year.

South Wharf - the company remaining after the Ardagh glass business was demerged and taken private - has reported pre-tax losses of €1.2m for the first half of 2004.

ARDAGH GLASS has reported a 37% slump in pre-tax profits for the first half of the year.

ARDAGH GLASS has acquired a majority stake in a Polish glass manufacturer, spending €8 million in the process.

Glass group Ardagh has narrowed trading losses for the year and announced it is to change its name to South Wharf.

ARDAGH Glass, which has been de-merged from Ardagh Plc, issued its preliminary results for 2003 yesterday.

ARDAGH plc is planning to return to the Irish glass market by distributing glass container products made at its Germany factory.

Ardagh Glass has reported a net debt of €3.08m and continues to trade at a loss after the closure of its Ringsend plant, the company said today.

ONE of the longest factory sit-in protests could be about to end.

Protestors from Ardagh Glass are expected to make their way to the Dail today to protest.

The future of glass bottle recycling in Ireland was in doubt today after a factory which is supplied by the country’s 1,300 bottle banks announced that it is closing, with the loss of 375 jobs.

The glass manufacturer Ardagh Glass has announced it’s to close its Dublin plant with the loss of 375 jobs.