Ballymun residents had reason to dream big in 1966, when ‘everybody wanted to live there’, with a number of high rises being built. Fast-forward to the present day and they are readying for the last remaining block to be demolished. Tom Farrell and Seamus Kelly report on where it all went wrong

Icon, the drug development solutions provider which employs more than 1,000 people in Ireland, yesterday revised upwards its earnings and revenue guidance for the year on the back of strong second quarter results.

Revenues at Irish-headquartered drugs group Icon rose more than 10% to €353.8m in the first three months of the year as the firm prepares to take on 200 additional Irish staff. 

Dublin-based pharmaceutical services provider Icon has made its second significant expansion announcement in less than a week, with the acquisition of US market intelligence agency MediMedia Pharma Solutions for $120m (€106m) in cash.

Pharmaceutical services provider Icon is forecasting revenue growth of up to 10% this year, on the back of a better-than-expected 2013 financial performance.

Icon — the Dublin-based pharmaceutical services provider — has upped its full-year revenue guidance for the second time in as many months, on the back of a strong third-quarter showing.

The GAA have confirmed the make-up of its Football 'Stars of the 1980s' team which will be honoured on All-Ireland SFC final day on Sunday, September 22 when Dublin meet Mayo at Croke Park.

Dublin-headquartered pharmaceutical services company Icon, has reported a 23% year-on year jump in first half revenues, to $651m (€492m), with net profit for the period increasing by nearly $30m, to $48.7m.

Icon — the Dublin-headquartered pharmaceutical services company — has reported “an encouraging start” to 2013, noting a 26% annualised increase in revenue and a more than doubling of operating profits for the first three months of the year.

Irish pharmaceutical services company Icon has reported a 92% increase in annual net profits, for 2012, to $60.4 million (€45.2m.

Pharmaceutical services company Icon has agreed to acquire the clinical trials division of US group Cross Country Healthcare for an initial cash consideration of $52m (€38.3m).

Pharmaceutical services company Icon reported a 1,110% increase in net income for the three months ending Sep 30 compared with the same quarter last year.

Clinical research company Icon has reported a near 15% increase in first-half revenue to $529m (€437m).

Saipan seemed both very close and very far away yesterday.

First-quarter revenues at pharmaceutical services firm Icon rose 10% year-on-year to $252m (€191m).

The company which on Monday hosted Taoiseach Enda Kenny’s jobs initiative announcement, ICON, reported full-year revenue of €728 million in the 12 months to the end of December.

THE opening of retail giant Ikea’s first Irish store could be delayed by up to a year because contractors for the National Roads Authority (NRA) will not finish access roads for customers on time.

ONE OF the stock claims each passing summer is that the provincial championships don’t matter as much any more.

SWEDISH furniture retailer Ikea has been given the green light by An Bord Pleanála to build its first outlet in the Republic of Ireland, although the planned opening of the controversial superstore could face delays due to a number of planning conditions.

PEOPLE travelling to the first Ikea furniture store in the Republic will account for up to 12% of all vehicles using the already congested M50, according to the National Roads Authority.

CLINICAL research group Icon has named Ciaran Murray as chief financial officer.

Thousands of people turned out in Dublin today to witness the demolition of the first of the famous Ballymun Towers.

THE removal of 120 tonnes of asbestos from the Ballymun flats by way of demolishing the tower blocks is unsafe and unacceptable, the Health and Safety Authority (HSA) said yesterday.

IRELAND manager Brian Kerr yesterday expressed confidence that Steven Reid and Glen Crowe will be fit to challenge for inclusion in the team to play Albania in Saturday’s European Championship qualifier at Lansdowne Road.

A LEITRIM footballer who joked about having a bomb in his luggage has been found guilty of disorderly conduct by a New York court.

LEITRIM footballer Ciaran Murray has pledged to return to New York and face the full rigours of the law for the ‘silly’ bomb prank at JFK Airport which went disastrously wrong.