//
Just after 13:00 GMT, the Iseq index of Irish shares had gained 23 points, reports the Irish Times.
Featuring high on the financial agenda was the successful rights issue by CRH, which saw around 94 per cent of shares being taken up before the deadline.
A broker in Dublin described the rights issue as "stunningly well done and well executed".
Meanwhile, shares in Bank of Ireland were up by 16 per cent and Anglo Irish Bank saw its share prices increase by 12 per cent.
Recently, the Irish finance minister, Brian Lenihan, denied that Ireland required financial assistance from the International Monetary Fund to help cope with the economic crisis.
