February 16, 2011
By Staff Reporter
Packaging boss Michael Smurfit dominates the Sunday Times’ pay list with earnings of more than euro 170 million with the year being a bonanza one for him mainly as a result of the company’s sale last September.
Only two women make it into the top 25, both of them in the entertainment industry.
Singer Enya is a new entry at No. 17 with earnings of more than euro 15 million on her sales of 15 million albums. Her share of the music royalties would be tax free.
The “Riverdance” husband and wife team of Moya Doherty and John McColgan who also own the Tyrone Productions company and sold out their share of the national commercial radio station Today FM, earned over euro 16 million.
The only high-tech industry boss to feature in the list is Brian Long of the Parthus computer company in at No. 20 with earnings of almost euro 13 million as a result of the merger with Ceva, the Californian wing of an Israeli company.
Also soaring into the list at No. 17 with pay checks totalling more than euro 15 million is movie heartthrob Colin Farrell, 26, whose talents and brooding good looks are increasingly in demand in Hollywood.
It was a good year for pharmaceuticals with five in the list making their money from the industry.
No. 2 in the list is with earnings of almost euro 105 million Allen McClay, the retired founder of the Northern Ireland-based Galen company.
Former Heinz boss and media mogul Tony O’Reilly comes in third with earnings of more than euro 78 million.
The runaway success of low fares airline Ryanair — which now has a stock market valuation double that of British Airways – has resulted in five millionaires on the list.
No. 4 is chief executive Michael O’Leary, with earnings of more than euro 46 million. Not far behind is founder Tony Ryan with more than euro 38 million. His sons, Cathal and Declan, are joint 12th with earnings of almost euro 17 million as a result of share sales.
The rock band U2 and manager Paul McGuinness are joint 21st with earnings of more than euro 12 million. The newspaper says the quartet was the world’s highest earning act last year and their successes since they began the band when still at school has earned them more than euro 570 million.
In total, the combined earnings of Ireland’s top 25 is more than euro 832 million.