Long-term profits for comedian Pat Shortt

COMEDIAN PAT Shortt is laughing all the way to the bank with his main firm recording profits of €379,245 last year.

New figures show that Shortts production firm, Short Comedy Theatre Co Ltd, recorded a €379,245 profit last year.

The award-winning entertainer – currently starring in Chris O’Dowd’s Moone Boy – operates a number of companies to conduct his entertainment business, with Short Comedy Theatre Co Ltd acting as a parent company.

Separate abridged accounts lodged by a subsidiary of Short Comedy Theatre Co Ltd, Gable End Media Ltd, show that it recorded profits of €298,303 last year.

A spokeswoman for the star of DUnbelievables and Killinascully said yesterday: “Pat was very happy with the year.”

The Thurles native has been one of Irelands most popular entertainers over the past decade and last year’s financial performance was boosted by Shortt reforming the D’Unbelievables pairing with Jon Kenny for a reunion tour.

The two also generated revenues from releasing a DVD of their live show for last year’s lucrative Christmas market.

Accumulated profits at the Short Comedy Theatre Co Ltd increased to €664,130 last year, with accumulated profits at the Gable End Media Ltd increasing from a €64,139 deficit to €234,261 in profits.

Shortt is currently touring Ireland with his latest creation, the music legend Dixie Walsh in Shortt’s live I Am The Band show.

However, it wasn’t all plain sailing for the entertainer last year with his firm Quiet Please Productions Ltd, established to produce Shortt’s TV series Mattie, recording a loss of €287,605.

This arose from the firm booking an impairment charge of €286,960.

The figures show that the company employed 38 people in 2011.

Along with his live comedy performance, Shortt has also acted in a number of television shows and moves, mostly notably for his multi-award winning performance as Josie in the 2007 movie Garage.

Shortt has also ventured into the hospitality sector, establishing the Pat Shortt bar in Castlemartyr in Co Cork.