23.11.2011

Dunnes Stores made a profit of almost €25m from its stores in the North, Britain and Spain despite a drop in revenue. Dunnes has also been increasing its market share in Ireland, seeing its market share increase from 23.9% to 23.1% in the last 12 months. The directors of the firm are Margaret Heffernan and Frank Dunne.

Carlisle Trust, the main company in the property group owned by businessman John Byrne, paid a €6.3 million divedend last year despite sizeable losses. A veteran developer and investor, 91-year-old Byrne owns a large amount of property in Dublin city centre, and his companies are among the biggest landlords to public sector companies. A former friend of Charlie Haughey, he was a witness at the Moriarty Tribunal.

A Dublin bookseller left almost €1m in his will when he died earlier this year. Fred Hanna was the former owner of Fred Hanna’s bookshop on Nassau Street, which was set-up by his grandfather. The business was taken over by Easons in 1999. Hanna lived on Johnston Road, Dun Laoghaire.

Finally, only 13 people with connections to the Irish Republic have made it into the latest UK Property Rich List; down from 30 in the 2009 list. See: http://bit.ly/ujJ2qP