Around the World's Markets: Dublin

THE IRISH bourse fell more than 2 per cent, following declines in London and New York. Buyers feared further falls, said traders.

"The market is looking for some direction from Wall Street and is not getting it, so people are sitting low in the bunkers," one trader said. The Irish SE index closed 104.18 points down at 5,011.13 after earlier plunging to a day's low of 4,976.6, its lowest since 5 June. AIB, which released strong interims, ended unchanged.

AIB record profits, page 19