The Doyle family can add yet another £7 million to their fortune following the sale of a block of 40 apartments at Lad Lane, off Fitzwilliam Place, in Dublin 2. The block has been bought by three businessmen who plan to refurbish the one and two-bedroom flats before letting them on the open market. The purchase will actually cost them close to £8 million once 9 per cent stamp duty is taken into account and another million could well be spent on giving the flats a facelift. However, one of the great attractions of the block is that it has 40 car parking spaces which is the envy of every well-to-do solicitor's and accountant's office in the area. With so few commercial property investments available in the city, the doughty investors are obviously prepared to take a hit on rental income.

The sale is a personal triumph for one of the dozens of the Dublin property scene, Gerry Henry of Hamilton Osborne King, who has sold a staggering £30 million worth of properties for the Doyles in the last few months. And there's more to come today when he auctions the Doyle HQ building, St Brigid's, at Clonskeagh Road. It is expected to next in excess of £2.5 million.

Happy Christmas Gerry!