THE sale of property and shares helped hike up profits at the IAWS Co-op by 166% last year.

THE board of South Western Services of Bandon meets today to decide the fate of the company.

IT is expected the four West Cork co-ops will have ratified the €42.5 million up-front offer from IAWS Co-op for South Western Services (SWS) by the weekend.

WEST CORK co-operatives, Bandon, Drinagh, Barryroe and Lisavaird are moving closer to a deal with IAWS Co-Op for its South Western Services subsidiary based in Bandon.

SPECULATION the Government is to pay up to €500 million to buy out the M50 toll contract from NTR puts a different perspective on the €130m investment by IAWS Co-op in the group.

UP to €70 million will be invested by Dairygold in a major development of a retail, residential and office complex on its site close to the 4Home base in Mallow, Co Cork.

SOUTH Western Services board of directors will hold a crucial meeting with IAWS boss Philip Lynch on March 30.

PHILIP LYNCH has Greenstar, NTR's waste management subsidiary, in his sights.

DAIRYGOLD is expected to make a strong case for the merger of South Western Services (SWS) with IAWS Co-op when the board of SWS meets today.

IAWS Co-op has upped its stake to 26% in NTR Plc, the operator of the National Toll Roads. IAWS now holds over 6.2 million ordinary shares in NTR, whose shares have shot up from €13 to €27 since October.

AN IAWS Co-op takeover of South Western Services in Bandon is said to be tantalisingly close after months of uncertainty over the deal.

NEWMARKET Co-op in north Cork has reported a turnover of €45.89 million for 2003 and an operating profit of €477,000 for the same period.

Tommy Barker casts an admiring eye over an idyllic West Cork retreat.

THERE’S land, and then there’s the sea, and there are few enough places on the Irish coastline where the two come together so prettily as at Galley Head in West Cork.