Much has been written over the past few years about the booming Irish legal market, but the significant upturn in fortunes is not restricted to the south. House prices, a reliable barometer of a country’s fortunes, are going through the roof in the North. In the year to September 2006 prices rocketed by 33.4 per cent. This Ireland Special Report reflects the increased activity in the North, with a report on the major infrastructure projects that are literally transforming the landscape, creating a wealth of opportunities for the local lawyers in the process.
Of course, the Dublin market continues to motor, reflected in the report on corporate activity, which includes comment on the recent audacious bid for Aer Lingus by Ryanair. But the flip side of that activity is the increase in investigations into Irish companies and their management by Ireland’s corporate watchdog, the Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement.
Ireland is a market to watch, in more ways than one.
