UNITED STATES
                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             WASHINGTON, DC 20549


                            ________________________


                                    FORM 8-K

                                 CURRENT REPORT
                     Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the
                         Securities Exchange Act of 1934



       Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): March 30, 2005



                               SILGAN HOLDINGS INC.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
               (Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter)


           Delaware                    000-22117                06-1269834
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 (State or Other Jurisdiction         (Commission             (IRS Employer
       of Incorporation)              File Number)          Identification No.)


4 Landmark Square, Stamford, Connecticut                                06901
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(Address of Principal Executive Offices)                              (Zip Code)


Registrant's telephone number, including area code: (203) 975-7110


                                      N/A
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
          (Former Name or Former Address, if Changed Since Last Report)



     Check the  appropriate  box below if the Form 8-K  filing  is  intended  to
simultaneously  satisfy the filing obligation of the Registrant under any of the
following provisions:


    [ ] Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17
CFR 230.425)

    [ ] Soliciting  material  pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17
CFR 240.14a-12)

    [ ]  Pre-commencement  communications  pursuant to Rule  14d-2(b)  under the
Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

    [ ]  Pre-commencement  communications  pursuant to Rule  13e-4(c)  under the
Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))






                Section 1--Registrant's Business and Operations

Item 1.01.    Entry into a Material Definitive Agreement.

On March 30,  2005,  the  Compensation  Committee  of the Board of  Directors of
Silgan  Holdings  Inc.,  or the Company,  established  target levels of earnings
before  interest  and taxes and  organizational  goals for the payment of annual
bonuses  for  2005  for  those  executive  officers  of  the  Company  for  whom
performance goals for annual cash bonuses for 2005 had not been established yet.

The  Compensation  Committee set target levels of earnings  before  interest and
taxes  and  organizational  goals  (management   development,   market  related,
operational  and  safety,  working  capital  management,   cost  management  and
financial reporting goals) for Silgan Containers Corporation,  or Containers,  a
wholly owned  subsidiary of the Company,  for the payment of annual  bonuses for
2005 for officers of  Containers,  including  Messrs.  James D. Beam and Gary M.
Hughes, President and Executive Vice President,  respectively, of Containers and
executive  officers  of  the  Company.  Following  the  end  of  the  year,  the
Compensation  Committee will certify the level of earnings  before  interest and
taxes and  organizational  goals  attained by  Containers,  and bonuses  will be
awarded to officers  of  Containers  on a sliding  scale (from zero to two times
"norm") on such basis.  If the targeted  level of earnings  before  interest and
taxes and  organizational  goals are  attained,  Messrs.  Beam and Hughes  would
receive a bonus for 2005 at "norm," or at 30% of their salary for 2005.

The  Compensation  Committee also set target levels of earnings  before interest
and taxes and  organizational  goals (working  capital  management goals and, in
some cases,  completion of business  planning  activities)  for Silgan  Plastics
Corporation,  or Plastics,  a wholly owned  subsidiary  of the Company,  for the
payment of annual  bonuses for 2005 for  officers  of  Plastics,  including  Mr.
Russell F.  Gervais,  President  of  Plastics  and an  executive  officer of the
Company.  Following the end of the year, the Compensation Committee will certify
the  level of  earnings  before  interest  and taxes  and  organizational  goals
attained by  Plastics,  and bonuses will be awarded to officers of Plastics on a
sliding scale (from zero to two times "norm") on such basis.

In addition,  the Compensation Committee approved annual cash bonus calculations
for 2005 for Messrs.  Frank W. Hogan,  Glenn A.  Paulson and Malcolm E.  Miller,
executive officers of the Company, based upon a weighted average of actual bonus
payouts as a percentage of "norm" of Containers and Plastics.

Additionally, on March 30, 2005, the Compensation Committee approved performance
awards of  restricted  stock units for an  aggregate  of up to 96,500  shares of
Common  Stock of the  Company  for 23 officers  and other key  employees  of the
Company and its subsidiaries, and fixed and established the performance criteria
for the Company's 2005 fiscal year for the granting of such  performance  awards
under the Company's 2004 Stock Incentive Plan.  Messrs.  Beam and Hughes are the
only officers  named in the Summary  Compensation  Table of the Company's  proxy
statement for its 2005 annual meeting of stockholders  that are included in such
group of officers and other key employees.  The performance criteria selected by
the Compensation  Committee is the Company's  earnings before  interest,  taxes,
depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) and the minimum level of performance that
must be attained for the performance



                                       2




awards  approved  by the  Compensation  Committee  to be granted is based on the
Company's  EBITDA in 2004.  If the minimum level of  performance  is attained as
certified by the  Compensation  Committee  following  the end of 2005,  then the
Compensation  Committee  may  make  grants  for  an  aggregate  of up to  96,500
restricted stock units to 23 officers and other key employees of the Company and
its  subsidiaries.  In  determining  the  amount  of such an award to grant to a
particular  officer  or other key  employee,  the  Compensation  Committee  will
consider  the  value  of  unvested  stock  awards  previously  granted  and  the
prospective  value of the award to be granted to such individual,  and may grant
restricted stock units to such individual in an amount up to the amount approved
by the  Compensation  Committee  for such  individual  on March 30,  2005.  Such
restricted  stock units will be granted at the  earliest  upon the date on which
the Compensation Committee makes such certification, and will vest in five equal
installments annually beginning one year from the date of grant.













                                       3




                                   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 hereunto duly authorized.


                                  SILGAN HOLDINGS INC.


                                  By:   /s/ Frank W. Hogan, III               
                                        --------------------------------------
                                        Frank W. Hogan, III
                                        Senior Vice President, General Counsel
                                          and Secretary

Date: April 5, 2005




















                                       4