The Irish market finished 65.93 points or just over 1 per cent weaker at 5,846.82, reflecting the across-the-board profit-taking which was the main feature following the gains made in recent days.

The two big financial stocks gave up some of their gains on steady but somewhat seasonally quiet trading.

Bank of Ireland was 18 cents weaker at €10.70 on a volume of less than one million shares traded, while rival AIB dropped back 12 cents to €12.38 with just over a million shares changing hands.

Despite strong enough interest, which saw more than 400,000 shares traded, Anglo Irish Bank lost 4 cents to close at €4.06.

Good news on house prices helped First Active, a pure play in the Irish mortgage banking market, buck the trend.

It closed two cents up at €3.47 on the back of news that Irish house prices, though slowing compared to last year, were up 16 per cent, indicating that the market is still robust. Irish Life & Permanent was also ahead, advancing 8 cents to €13.53.

The industrial stocks were a mixed bag. CRH was among those to suffer from profit-taking. It closed the day at €20.60, some 16 cents weaker on a volume of more than a million shares. Smurfit also dropped back, losing two cents to €2.34.

DCC picked up a little following some recent pressure. It advanced 25 cents to €10. Ryanair also picked up, advancing 11 cents to €11.16.

Elsewhere, IAWS was 10 cents stronger at €8.20, Elan continued its downward slide, losing €1.83 to €57,62, while Iona gave up the gains it made in the previous day, dropping back €1.50 to €15.