Some of the country's best known comedians are laughing all the way to the bank once more, a series of recently filed accounts show.
Covid-19 restrictions ensured that comedians' lucrative live stand-up work for almost two years after March 2020 disappeared.
Now, accounts for a number of comedians' firms show that their business was on the rebound last year as live stand-up fans flocked back to venues across the country.
Accounts for Jason Byrne's Jason Byrne Entertainment Ltd show that the firm recorded a post-tax profit of €166,186 last year and this followed the company recording a loss of €87,532 during the Covid-19 impacted 2021.
At the end of 2022, accumulated profits at Byrne’s firm had passed the €1m mark after the 2022 profits of €166,186. The company’s cash funds totalled €211,518.
Pay to directors for the year increased from €233,177 to €258,465 made up of remuneration of €229,483 and pension contributions of €28,982.
Separate accounts filed by Neil Delamere's production firm show that the company recorded profits of €236,775 last year and this was more than four times the profits of €50,951 in 2021.
The Delamere firm's accumulated profits at the end of December 2022 totalled €1.275m. Cash funds at the business increased during the year from €883,245 to €1.1m.
Directors' pay totalled €70,300 for the year made up of emoluments of €50,300 and pension contributions of €20,000.
Separate accounts filed by Des Bishop's Blow In Entertainment also underscore a Covid-19 recovery at the business.
One of the most popular acts on the stand-up circuit, Bishop's firm’s profits totalled €54,418 for last year compared to a loss of €66,305 for 2021.
The company's cash funds last year decreased sharply from €134,311 to €99,709. The company's accumulated profits at the end of December last totalled €75,964.
David O'Doherty is playing a number of dates in Vicar Street next week and accounts for David O’Doherty Ltd show that it recorded profits of €128,594 last year after recording a 2021 loss of €20,850.
The firm's cash funds increased from €12,471 to €127,886 during the year.
Another set of accounts show that accumulated profits at the firm owned by broadcaster, satirist and impressionist Oliver Callan last year increased to €1.76m.
Callan's Catchy Title Ltd enjoyed a buoyant 2022 as the company recorded post tax profits of €196,338 - a 27% increase on the post tax profits of €154,803 in 2021.
The firm's current assets - made up of cash and money owed by debtors - last year increased from €1.156m to €1.375m.
Comedian, TV host, actor and podcaster Tommy Tiernan is due back on our screens with his eponymous chat show on RTÉ next week and accounts filed during the year show that he shared directors' pay of €1.18m at his main entertainment firm in 2022.
In a bumper year for Tiernan's Mabinog Ltd, cash funds at the company almost tripled from €635,927 to €1.64m last year.
The directors' payout contributed to profits for the year more than halving from €123,812 to €56,503.
Reporting by Gordon Deegan
