Market report: The ISEQ Index of Irish Shares added 18.78 points or 0.3 per cent to close at 6,226.36 at the end of a what dealers described as a generally quiet day's trading.

Pharmaceutical developer Elan seemed to have found the cure for its recent share price ills with a positive annual general meeting statement about the prospects of getting regulators to review Multiple Sclerosis drug, Tysabri.

The treatment was withdrawn after fears that it was responsible for the death of patients on clinical trials.

After the meeting, investors decided it was worth backing the company again, and it gained 63 cent to close at €6.20, which at 11.31 per cent was one of the biggest gains of the day.

Building materials and systems group Kingspan added 20 cent to end the day at €9.30 after its board told shareholders that sales for the first four months of the year were ahead of the same period in 2004.

Low-cost airline Ryanair, which yesterday announced a seat sale, had its wings clipped slightly, shedding two cent to finish at €6.15 after close to 2 million shares were traded.

CRH gained 10 cent to close at €20.72 on volumes of 1.7 million shares.

It emerged during the day that the company had agreed to buy a French concrete products business.

Brokers welcomed the news as the normally acquisitive building materials group has been buying businesses at a slower rate than usual.

House builder Abbey gained 10 cent to close at €8.89 after announcing a share buy-back.

Financials were reasonably popular despite the London market's reluctance to back the sector yesterday.

AIB added five cent to close at €16.80. Bank of Ireland dipped eight cent to close at €12.52, but had actually been trading at over €12.60 during the day. Over 1.6 million shares changed hands.

Anglo Irish also closed five cent lower at €9.75, but had also been trading at higher levels during the day.

Settlement date: May 31st