Paddy Power-Betfair marriage looks compelling

Merger and acquisition activity in Ireland has been relatively modest over the past decade. Few plcs have been bid for. Fewer still have merged. And most takeovers by Irish listed companies have been small enough to fly under the radar – ie without the need for regulatory announcements.

The most acquisitive of our plcs – DCC – often does a multitude of little bolt-on acquisitions every year to strengthen its coverage, capacity, scale ...