Tyrone Productions, the television production firm owned by Mr John McColgan and Ms Moya Doherty, more than tripled its pre-tax profits to Eur 464,717 in 2001, according to the latest accounts filed with the Companies Office.

Tyrone is one of the biggest independent television production firms in the State, making programmes such as Midnight Court, Who Wants to be a Millionaire?, dating show Wanderlust, Ros na Rún and Open House.

Most programmes are made for RTÉ although the Irish language shows air on TG4. The company also produces various videos and extracts from the Riverdance show.

Accounts for the year to December 2001 show the company's pre-tax profits rising to Eur 464,717 from €172,384, with profits after tax of Eur 415,818.

The accounts show the firm had accumulated profits at the end of the year of Eur 1.5 million.

The firm has four directors: Mr McColgan and Ms Doherty, Ms Joan Egan, managing director of Tyrone, and Mr Padraig Wynne, although in the period under review neither Ms Egan or Mr Wynne held shares in the company.

Remuneration for the directors rose marginally to Eur 117,088 from Eur 112,800.

Wages and salaries at Tyrone in general increased to Eur 568,000 from Eur 465,279 in the year before.

This was shared among 38 staff, 26 involved in production and 12 in administration.

The accounts also give details of two subsidiary undertakings.

One of them specialising in Irish language programming, Léirithe Teilifíse Thír Eoghain Teoranta, made a small loss for the year.

The other, Gael Force Media, which put on a large show in the Point in 1997, made a Eur 15,863 profit.

The concert featuring Sinéad O'Connor was later issued on video and sold around the world.