The Government's tender for advisers on the forthcoming Telecom Eireann stock market flotation was keenly contested, with Drury Communications scooping the £850,000 plus prize. While they will share this with the British public relations consultancy Dewe Rogerson, the contract will provide a welcome boost to the new team at Drury's.
Drury's founder, Fintan Drury, has sold out his majority shareholding in the firm, with Billy Murphy now taking over the reins. The company is clearly positioning itself to be a very major player in the cut-throat PR market, counting a number of blue chip companies, such as CRH and Jurys, on its client list. It has also brought outgoing IDA Ireland chief executive, Mr Kieran McGowan, on board, and can be expected to aggressively chase new business in Ireland and abroad.
The tender process for the Telecom Eireann account also brought into focus another potential new force in the media relations game. Murray Consultants, at one time seen as a leading candidate to get the contract, linked up with ail lobbyist PJ Mara when making its pitch.
Mara and Murray's Jim Milton also recently pooled their formidable talents in crisis management offering advice and succour to the beleaguered AIB senior executives when the DIRT issue hit the fan. The duo also teamed up to forward Ryanair's case to the Government to allow the cut-price airline its own facilities at Dublin Airport. Could this signal a more permanent relationship between Milton and Mara and a realignment at Murray's which has suffered a haemorrhage of senior staff this year?
