6-K

                                    FORM 6-K

                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

                             Washington, D.C. 20549

                        Report of Foreign Private Issuer
                        Pursuant to Rule 13a-16 or 15d-16
                    under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

                         For the month of October, 2003

                        Commission File Number 001-13896



                              Elan Corporation, plc
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                 (Translation of registrant's name into English)


                 Lincoln House, Lincoln Place, Dublin 2, Ireland
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                    (Address of principal executive offices)



     Indicate by check mark whether the registrant files or will file annual
reports under cover of Form 20-F or Form 40-F:

                 Form 20-F /X/                      Form 40-F / /


     Indicate by check mark if the registrant is submitting the Form 6-K in
paper as permitted by Regulation S-T Rule 101(b)(1):

                       Yes / /                      No /X/

     Note: Regulation S-T Rule 101(b)(1) only permits the submission in paper of
a Form 6-K if submitted solely to provide an attached annual report to security
holders.


     Indicate by check mark if the registrant is submitting the Form 6-K in
paper as permitted by Regulation S-T Rule 101(b)(7):

                       Yes / /                      No /X/





                                      -2-


     Note: Regulation S-T Rule 101(b)(7) only permits the submission in paper of
a Form 6-K if submitted to furnish a report or other document that the
registrant foreign private issuer must furnish and make public under the laws of
the jurisdiction in which the registrant is incorporated, domiciled or legally
organized (the registrant's "home country"), or under the rules of the home
country exchange on which the registrant's securities are traded, as long as the
report or other document is not a press release, is not required to be and has
not been distributed to the registrant's security holders, and, if discussing a
material event, has already been the subject of a Form 6-K submission or other
Commission filing on EDGAR.

     Indicate by check mark whether by furnishing the information contained in
this Form, the registrant is also thereby furnishing the information to the
Commission pursuant to Rule 12g3-2(b) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.

                       Yes / /                      No /X/

     If "Yes" is marked, indicate below the file number assigned to the
registrant in connection with Rule 12g3-2(b):








                                  EXHIBIT LIST


   Exhibit      Description
   -------      -----------

     99.1       Press release dated October 20, 2003 titled:
                Elan announces webcast of third quarter 2003 financial results.










                                   SIGNATURES

     Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the
registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the
undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.



                               ELAN CORPORATION, plc



                               By: /s/ William F. Daniel
                                   --------------------------------------
                                   William F. Daniel
                                   Company Secretary

Date: October 20, 2003

EX-99.1

                                                                    EXHIBIT 99.1



                              FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE


Contacts:
Investors:                                            Media:
Emer Reynolds                                         Anita Kawatra
Ph: 353-1-709-4000                                    Ph:  212-407-5755
    800-252-3526                                           800-252-3526


                  ELAN ANNOUNCES WEBCAST OF THIRD QUARTER 2003
                                FINANCIAL RESULTS

DUBLIN, IRELAND, October 20, 2003 -- Elan Corporation, plc (NYSE: ELN) ("Elan")
announced today that it will host a conference call on Wednesday, November 12,
2003 at 8:30 a.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST), 1:30 p.m. Greenwich Mean Time
(GMT) with the investment community to discuss Elan's third quarter 2003
financial results, which will be released before the U.S. and European financial
markets open.

Live audio of the conference call will be simultaneously broadcast over the
Internet and will be available to investors, members of the news media and the
general public.

This event can be accessed by visiting Elan's website at www.elan.com and
clicking on the Investor Relations section, then on the event icon. The event
will be archived and available for replay for 24 hours. The replay telephone
number is 800-633-8284 or 402-977-9140, reservation number 21163951.

About Elan
Elan is focused on the discovery, development, manufacturing, selling and
marketing of novel therapeutic products in neurology, pain management and
autoimmune diseases. Elan shares trade on the New York, London and Dublin Stock
Exchanges.