The main financial shares pushed ahead on the Dublin stock exchange yesterday, benefiting from strong interest in banking stocks elsewhere in Europe, dealers said. Other shares saw profit taking by investors, especially in the afternoon.

"Along with most markets today we've seen a fair amount of profit taking after a strong run," one analyst said. "But there's also been another burst of interest in the banks, with some reasonable trade going through, perhaps in response to healthy action in bank stocks on continental Europe."

Although many major investors seemed to be taking a breather following recent market volatility, dealers said there was also strong and sustained interest in smaller shares.

Among the leading financial stocks, Allied Irish Banks again reached 600p during the trading day, before falling back slightly to close at 598p, up 7p on its start of 591p. Bank of Ireland climbed 2p, closing at 839p.

Elsewhere in the sector, Anglo-Irish Bank gained 1p, ending at 95p, while

Irish Life edged upwards in a late sterling deal to close at 373p, a gain on the day of 1p. Hibernian was unchanged at 390p, as was Irish Permanent at 665p.

Among the leading industrial shares, Smurfit saw heavy interest from both

Ireland and Britain, rising at one point to 221p before closing at a sterling price the equivalent of 216 1/2p, down 1 1/2p. CRH also fell, by 2p, closing the trading day at 688p.

In the food sector, Avonmore, now confident of its merger with Waterford

Foods, saw its share price rise 3p on the day to end on 307p. Waterford Foods also saw interest and closed up 5p, at 170p. Greencore rose 2p to close at 334p, while Golden Vale remained steady at 78 as did Fyffes at 90p. Kerry dropped 5p, ending at 645p.

Elsewhere, Ryanair gained 21p to close at 385p, and building supplier Heiton gained 4p to 154p. Waterford Wedgwood was unchanged at 91p, and Independent

Newspapers dropped 5p to 395p.