Holding in Company

Grafton Group PLC
17 August 2001


Grafton Group Plc

17 August 2001

Re: Holding in Company

A Letter from Grafton Group Plc dated 17 August 2001 to The Irish Stock
Exchange, received by The Irish Stock Exchange 17 August 2001.



Notification of Shareholding under

Chapter 2 of Part IV of the Companies Act, 1990.

Grafton Group plc ('the Company') has been informed on 17th August 2001 by
Allied Irish Banks plc of Bank Centre, Ballsbridge Dublin 4 that it and its
subsidiaries 'AIB' had a notifiable interest in 8,733,964 Grafton Units
representing 4.98% of the issued share capital of the Company. Details of that
interest, together with a breakdown of registered holders are attached.



Colm O'Nuallain

Finance Director

Grafton Group Plc



                        Schedule of Registered Holders

Registered Holder                      Class of Security   No. of Shares Held
AIB Custodial Nominees Ltd             Ordinary Shares     36,950

                                       Euro 0.05c
AIB Custodial Nominees Ltd A/C 1215    Ordinary Shares     161,500

                                       Euro 0.05c
AIB Custodial Nominees                 Ordinary Shares     133,430

Ltd A/C 184224                         Euro 0.05c
AIB Custodial Nominees Ltd A/C 2254    Ordinary Shares     380,000

                                       Euro 0.05c
AIB Custodial Nominees Ltd A/C 12      Ordinary Shares     291,000

                                       Euro 0.05c
AIB Custodial Nominees Ltd A/C 184219  Ordinary Shares     45,327

                                       Euro 0.05c
AIB Custodial Nominees Ltd A/C 11      Ordinary Shares     1,610,860

                                       Euro 0.05c
AIB Custodial Nominees Ltd A/C 184201  Ordinary Shares     428,180

                                       Euro 0.05c
Skerries Nominees Ltd                  Ordinary Shares     5,642,217

                                       Euro 0.05c
Nutraco Nominees Ltd                   Ordinary Shares     4,500

                                       Euro 0.05c