Result of CRH Placing

CRH PLC
8 September 2000


CASH PLACING OF UP TO 19.57 MILLION NEW ORDINARY SHARES - PRICING AND NUMBER
OF NEW ORDINARY SHARES 

NOT FOR RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION IN, OR INTO, THE UNITED STATES OR
CANADA

Further to the announcement made on 5th September, 2000 regarding the cash
Placing of New Ordinary Shares in CRH plc, the Placing price and the size of
the issue have now been determined following the completion of the
bookbuilding process.

CRH confirms that it is issuing 19,570,000 New Ordinary Shares at a price of
euro 18 per share to raise approximately euro 345 million after expenses.  The
New Ordinary Shares being issued represent 5 per cent of CRH's issued share
capital prior to the Placing.

UBS Warburg ('UBSW') and Davy Stockbrokers ('Davy') have agreed to effect the
Placing which is conditional on admission of the New Ordinary Shares to
listing on the Official List of the UK Listing Authority and the Irish Stock
Exchange and to trading on the London Stock Exchange's market for listed
securities.  It is expected that admission will become effective on 
Monday, 11th September, 2000.

Enquiries:

CRH
---
Liam O'Mahony, Chief Executive       -   00 353 1 404 1000
Harry Sheridan, Finance Director     -   00 353 1 404 1000
Myles Lee, General Manager Finance   -   00 353 1 404 1000

UBS Warburg
-----------
Paul Nicholls, Corporate Finance     -  00 44 207 568 2016
Philip Shelley, Capital Markets      -  00 44 207 568 2730

Davy Stockbrokers
-----------------
Kyran McLaughlin, Head of Equities   -   00 353 1 614 8949
Paul Burke, Head of Investor Relations   00 353 1 614 8965



UBSW and Davy are acting for CRH alone and no one else in connection with the
Placing and will not be responsible to anyone else for providing the
protections afforded to customers of UBSW and Davy nor for providing advice in
relation to the Placing.

This announcement is not an offer of securities for sale nor is it intended to
invite offers to subscribe for securities and any securities referred to
herein have not been registered under the U.S. Securities Act 1933 (the
'Securities Act') and may not be offered or sold in the United States absent
registration under the Securities Act or an exemption therefrom.  No public
offering of Ordinary Shares will be made in the United States and no
prospectus will be issued.

8th September,  2000
       
CRH plc, Belgard Castle, Clondalkin, Dublin 22, Ireland  
TELEPHONE [phone]  FAX [phone]
E-MAIL [e-mail]      WEBSITE www.crh.ie  
Registered Office, 42 Fitzwilliam Square, Dublin 2, Ireland