Businessman Richard Quirke (77), owner of Dr Quirkey’s Good Time Emporium, died this week.
The former garda opened Dr Quirkey’s on Dublin’s O’Connell Street in 1976. The arcade and casino company is owned and operated by Dublin Pool and Juke Box Limited and has several slot machine outlets in the capital. the company reported after-tax profits of €8.6 million for 2023.
Another of Quirke’s projects was the Tipperary Venue, a proposed 325 hectare casino development adjacent to the M8 Motorway at Two Mile Borris in Co Tipperary.
As originally planned, the project proposed the building of an all-weather racecourse and greyhound tracks, equestrian centre, 500 room hotel, eighteen hole golf course, 15,000 capacity “underground entertainment” venue, heliport, a replica of the White House and a “A Las Vegas Strip style” casino.
READ MORE
In 2017 it was reported that Ireland’s gambling legislation did not support the proposed development. The planning permission for the proposed project expired in 2018.
In 2022 the company revealed that the cost of the alleged fraud spanning three years at the company had cost it €2.56 million. After the alleged fraud on the firm was discovered in December 2020, the firm appointed external financial consultants to carry out a forensic investigation into the company’s systems and processes.
The company said “this led to the identification of unpaid taxation and interest liabilities which have been fully accrued in the company’s accounts”.
Quirke who was originally from Tipperary passed away peacefully at his home in Cabinteely, Dublin 18 last weekend.
He is survived by his wife Ann, children. Wesley and Andy, grandchildren, sisters, extended family and friends.
Mr Quirke is also the father-in-law of former Miss World Rosanna Davison who is married to his son Wesley.
His funeral Mass takes place at 11am on Saturday 12th of October in the Church of Our Lady of Perpetual Succour, Foxrock.
- Sign up for the Business Today newsletter and get the latest business news and commentary in your inbox every weekday morning
- Opt in to Business push alerts and have the best news, analysis and comment delivered directly to your phone
- Join The Irish Times on WhatsApp and stay up to date
- Our Inside Business podcast is published weekly – Find the latest episode here
