Successful over a shorter trip at the May meeting, Le Vagabond returned to Killarney to land the featured, €50,000 At The Races Kingdom Gold Cup on the second day of the August Festival last night.

CRH yesterday faced one of the largest shareholder revolts over executive pay in Irish corporate history, with more than 40% of its shareholders — representing a combined €8.5bn of its €21.4bn market value — opposing a hike in bonuses at its AGM.

CRH could end up spending around €8bn on acquisitions and investments this year, management hinted yesterday.

CRH is continuing to work under the assumption that the merger of its European peers Holcim and Lafarge will succeed, but has maintained that a collapse of the proposed deal will not hamper its own ambitious growth plans.

Albert Manifold has been appointed as group chief executive of construction giant CRH, effective January 1, 2014.

CRH paid chief executive Myles Lee just under €2.54m last year, nearly 6% less than in the previous year.

CRH’s spending activity in 2013 is likely to broadly mirror the last two years; each of which saw the group shell out about €600m on acquisitions and investments.

Eircom has announced that the three group companies placed under examinership on March 29 (eircom Limited, Meteor Mobile Communications Limited and Irish Telecommunications Investments Limited) today exited examinership.

Eircom today announced the membership of its board following the acquisition of Australian-based eircom Holdings Limited (ERC) by Singapore Technologies Telemedia (ST Telemedia) and eircom ESOP Trustee Limited (ESOT).

DEFENCE Minister Willie O’Dea expects an announcement from Dell “over the next day or two” on the future of the company’s Limerick plant.

AN announcement by Dell concerning the future of its Limerick operation is expected on Thursday.

FORMER Dell senior executive Nicky Hartery is understood to be leading a new business consortium which wants to take over the company’s Limerick plant and save its 3,000 jobs.

THE battle to save Dell in Limerick was lost last summer.

THE head of Dell’s global operations will today visit the company’s Limerick plant amid concerns about the long-term future of the facility, which employs 3,000.

FIVE executive directors of the building materials giant CRH shared nearly €6.5 million in salaries and bonuses last year.

DELL, the world’s leading personal computer maker, is to set up a research and development centre in Limerick that will employ 50 people within four years.

Waterford Institute of Technology will host a conference entitled ’New Manufacturing, New Competition’ on September 9. The conference aims to improve the institute’s partnership with industry and the local community.

THE Enterprise Strategy Group draws on expertise from across the Irish business landscape, with high-fliers from industry and trade unions as well as academics, venture capitalists and entrepreneurs.

CRH plc yesterday announced the co-option to the board yesterday of Professor Joyce O’Connor and Nicky Hartery, as non-executive directors.

Professor Joyce O'Connor and Nicky Hartery have joined CRH as non-executive Directors.

The Kemmy Business School (KBS) at the University of Limerick has announced its first business advisory board.

DELL Computers, the country’s top exporter, is in Ireland for the long haul as long as it remains competitive, the company pledged yesterday.

By Niall O'Connor