The pandemic has caused untold difficulty for the residents, and the operators of, Ireland’s nursing homes. But, as the sector sought to manage with Covid-19, it has also been dealing with another striking issue: dealmaking. Private equity houses and international operators have been acquiring Irish nursing homes at a breakneck pace. Hunting for yield, global finance has decided that the sector in Ireland is fertile ground, and it has been on a land grab. Foreign capital has acquired part, or all, of eight of the largest 15 private operators in the country in recent years. The multiples for the deals…