Goodbody Stockbrokers UC (-ICGC) has filed a Rule 38.5(a) disclosure with the Irish Takeover Panel, revealing the acquisition of 44,466 ordinary shares in Irish Continental Group Plc on 4 November 2026 at a price of €7.97 per share. The disclosure was made in Goodbody's capacity as a connected exempt principal trader with recognised intermediary status, acting in a client-serving capacity. Goodbody is identified in the filing as adviser to Bluefin Bidco Limited, the offeror in an ongoing takeover process concerning Irish Continental Group Plc, making the disclosure legally required under the Irish Takeover Panel Act, 1997 and the Takeover Rules, 2013. Investors following the Irish Continental Group situation may wish to monitor further regulatory filings as the takeover process develops.

Key Points

  • Goodbody Stockbrokers UC (-ICGC) filed the disclosure on 5 November 2026
  • 44,466 ordinary shares in Irish Continental Group Plc were acquired on 4 November 2026 at €7.97 per share
  • No securities were disposed of; no derivatives or options transactions were reported in the filing
  • Investors should watch for further Rule 38.5(a) filings and updates from Bluefin Bidco Limited regarding the Irish Continental Group takeover

Goodbody Acts as Adviser to Bluefin Bidco in Irish Continental Group Takeover Process

The filing confirms that Goodbody Stockbrokers UC is connected to Bluefin Bidco Limited in its capacity as adviser to the offeror. Under the Irish Takeover Rules, 2013, advisers connected to an offeror who deal in the target company's securities must disclose those dealings promptly to the Irish Takeover Panel. The disclosure was filed on 5 November 2026, one day after the dealing date of 4 November 2026, in line with standard regulatory timelines. The named contact for the disclosure is Aidan Cronin, reachable at Goodbody's Dublin office, underscoring the firm's role at the centre of this transaction.

44,466 Irish Continental Group Ordinary Shares Acquired at a Single Price of €7.97

The Form 38.5(a) filing records a single tranche of 44,466 ordinary shares in Irish Continental Group Plc purchased at a uniform price of €7.97, with both the highest and lowest prices paid recorded identically at that level. No securities were disposed of during the same period, and the disposal columns in the filing show figures of zero throughout. The announcement states that no derivatives transactions and no options transactions were conducted in connection with this dealing, simplifying the disclosure relative to more complex institutional filings that often involve layered financial instruments.

Irish Continental Group Plc: Background on the Company at the Centre of the Takeover

Irish Continental Group Plc is an Irish-listed transport and logistics operator with interests in ferry services and container freight across Irish Sea routes. The company's ordinary shares are the class of relevant security to which this disclosure relates. As an offeree in an active takeover process initiated by Bluefin Bidco Limited, Irish Continental Group Plc is subject to heightened regulatory scrutiny, requiring all connected parties—including the offeror's advisers—to report dealings in the company's securities under Irish Takeover Panel oversight.