Reorganisation, etc

CRH PLC
22 September 1999


CRH REORGANISES ITS NORTH AMERICAN OPERATIONS AND ANNOUNCES NEW APPOINTMENTS

CRH plc, the international building materials group, announces that Oldcastle,
the holding company for CRH's North American operations, is being reorganised
into two major operational groupings - Materials, and Products & Distribution.
The reorganisation, and attendant appointments, will take effect on January 1,
2000.

Tom Hill is appointed Chief Executive of Oldcastle Materials Group. President
since 1991, Tom has led the substantial growth of the Materials Group through
the 1990s. It is now a regional and national leader in aggregates, asphalt and
readymixed concrete and is of course a major contributor to CRH profitability.

Mark Towe, who joined the Materials Group as Chief Operating Officer in 1997,
is appointed President reporting to Tom.

John Wittstock is appointed Chief Executive of the newly-formed Oldcastle
Products & Distribution Group. President of the Glass Group since shortly
before it joined Oldcastle in 1990, John has successfully grown the business
to North American leadership since then. Products & Distribution will
encompass the existing Precast, Architectural Products, Glass and Distribution
Groups, whose Presidents will report directly to John.

Ted Hathaway will replace John as President of Oldcastle Glass Group.
Currently Chief Operating Officer, Ted was formerly President of the Glass
Group's Western Division.

Michael O'Driscoll, Oldcastle's Chief Financial Officer, will continue to have
overall responsibility for Oldcastle's financial functions.

Tom Hill and John Wittstock will report directly to the CRH Chief Executive,
as do Brian Griffin, Managing Director CRH Europe Materials, and Brian Hill,
Managing Director CRH Europe Products & Distribution.

As previously announced, Liam O'Mahony, currently Chief Executive Oldcastle
and CRH Chief Executive Designate, will take over from CRH Chief Executive Don
Godson on January 1, 2000.



Contact CRH at Dublin 404 1000 ([phone])
Don Godson, Chief Executive
Liam O'Mahony, Chief Executive Designate
Harry Sheridan, Finance Director
Myles Lee, General Manager Finance
    
CRH plc, Belgard Castle, Clondalkin, Dublin 22, Ireland  TELEPHONE
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