Mr. Burke is the owner of the Armada Hotel, which faces Spanish Point Beach in west Clare. According to Armada Holdings Ltd.'s most recent financial statements, pre-tax earnings rose by 61% to €1.5 million last year.

This came after the company's sales more than doubled to €11.69 million from €5.1 million as it recovered from the impact of COVID-19 and its shutdown for half of 2021.

A note attached to the accounts notes that the firm is operating successfully and that business on the books for 2023 and 2024 would imply business would continue to increase in 2023. The hotel is one of the most popular hotel sites for weddings in the west of Ireland.

“2023 should be a record year in terms of sales and profitability,” the memo says. The directors are confident that the hotel can maintain its good performance and see annual growth, even in the face of growing expenditures.

As part of a business double act, Mr. Burke scaled the summit of Mount Everest in 2017. His wife, Aoibhin Garrihy, a former Fair City performer, is also expanding her Beo health brand this year, having just opened a new store in Ennis.

“A truer picture of the trading potential emerges” as the firm recovers from the effects of COVID-19, according to a note appended to the updated Armada accounts.

“The Pearl suite has been repurposed and the new Aileens restaurant has been added as part of an extension initiative. These advancements have made it possible for the hotel to compete more successfully in new areas, including corporate events and conventions as well as weekend getaways for leisure travellers.

“Along with this the addition of Armada House, a historical property and its 13 bedrooms has grown the hotel's room stock significantly along with the diversity of the product offering.”

The statement “the directors have strong belief that the company has adequate resources to continue in operational existence for the foreseeable future” is added to a report that was approved by June Curtin and John Burke.

The €819,363 in non-cash depreciation expenses is included into the earnings for the previous year.

The company made an operational profit of €1.7 million, but when interest costs of €191,786 were deducted, the profit before taxes was just €1.5 million. After paying a corporate tax charge of €190,732, the company had a post-tax profit of €1.32 million.

One of the biggest employers in west Clare, the expanding hotel business hired 195 people last year, up from 180, while pay and other costs came to €3.87 million.

The hotel's insurance bill came to €111,758 last year, while its energy expenditure nearly quadrupled to €356,495 from €165,285.

An additional €64,699 was spent on staff clothing, while €102,410 was given to "bands artists." IMRO/SKY subscriptions rose to €14,298.

The hotel's income breakdown showed that its lodging sales brought in €3.7 million, food sales brought in €4.73 million, and bar sales brought in €2.89 million.