Dividends of €1m paid by Murray Consultants

Public relations agency Murray Consultants Ltd increased its pre-tax profits last year to €724,054, its latest abridged accounts show.

The company paid dividends of close to €1 million to its shareholders, including co-founders Joe Murray and Jim Milton, and managing director Pat Walsh. The dividends related to both 2010 and 2011.

Revenues for the year were 3 per cent lower than in 2010 due to timing issues around certain projects. New business contributed “upwards of 25 per cent” of revenues.

The results were described as a “very satisfactory outcome” in the directors’ report.

The accounts show that Murray made a gross profit of €4 million in 2011, just over 2 per cent lower than the previous year. Staff costs were flat at €2.15 million.

Client wins or new projects in 2011 included the Irish Dairy Board, Logitech, Openet and Eircom senior lenders.

Trading in the year to date is described as “stronger” than for the same period of 2011, with the agency expecting an “improved out-turn” for the full year. The company closed 2011 with reserves of €970,392, down from €1.37 million a year earlier.

Murray Consultants is one of Ireland’s biggest and longest established PR agencies, having been founded in 1974.

Its roster of clients includes Independent News Media, British soft drinks group Britvic and Providence Resources.