Acquisition

CRH PLC
30 September 2003


30th September 2003


CEMENTBOUW ACQUISITION UPDATE



CRH plc, the international building materials group announced on 29th July 2003
that it had reached agreement in principle to acquire the distribution and
building products operations of Cementbouw Handel & Industrie ('Cementbouw'). At
the same time, CRH announced that it had also reached conditional agreement to
acquire a 45% stake in a leveraged buyout of Cementbouw's materials operations.



CRH welcomes the prompt decision announced today by the European Commission to
clear these transactions which are expected to close in early October.





Contact CRH at Dublin 404 1000 ([phone])



Liam O'Mahony Chief Executive

Harry Sheridan Finance Director

Myles Lee Finance Director Designate

Brian Hill Managing Director, CRH Europe Products & Distribution



CRH plc, Belgard Castle, Clondalkin, Dublin 22, Ireland TELEPHONE [phone]
FAX [phone]

E-MAIL [e-mail] WEBSITE www.crh.com Registered Office, 42 Fitzwilliam
Square, Dublin 2, Ireland







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