Eamon Dunphy’s media firm returns to profit

Company has cash pile of €350,000 and director pay dropped by €75k in 2018

The media firm of former RTÉ pundit Eamon Dunphy returned to profit last year after posting losses of almost €40,000 in 2017. The company had a cash pile of more than €350,000 at the end of last August.

Dunphy (73) announced last year that he was leaving the state broadcaster after 40 years to focus on his podcast, The Stand. He has also continued to work as a newspaper columnist and radio contributor.

Newly filed accounts for Festuca Limited show that accumulated profits increased by €20,474 to €321,357 during the last financial year, representing a recovery from a €39,254 loss incurred in 2017.

However, total remuneration paid to the firm’s two directors, Dunphy and his son Tim was slashed to €122,827 last year compared to €197,000 during the previous 12 months.

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The company’s cash pile was reduced by €29,370 to €351,080 during the year, while the amount owed to creditors was almost halved from €82,194 to €43,152, most of which related to tax and social insurance.

Festuca Ltd was set up in 2013 after Dunphy moved to wind up his previous firm, Mac Consultants Ltd in a reorganisation of his company affairs. Documents lodged by a liquidator in 2014 show that the pundit received a pre-tax windfall of almost €500,000 from the wind-up.