Rihanna helps boost Lillie’s coffers in ‘excellent year’

Pop superstar Rihanna last year contributed to the coffers of one of the country’s best-known celebrity haunts, Lillie’s Bordello, in an “excellent year” for the business.

According to nightclub’s boss, Oliver Hughes, the business at Lillie’s at the moment “is all very good” after enjoying what he said was “a bumper Christmas”.

Mr Hughes was commenting on new figures showing that accumulated profits at the firm behind Lillie’s and the adjoining Porterhouse Central Bar, Noyfield Ltd, plunged by just over €250,000 from €2.56m to €2.3m.

However, Mr Hughes said a €500,000 refurbishment of the venue was the reason behind the drop in accumulated profits, confirming that the venue did record an operating profit last year.

He declined to state the level of profit but confirmed that revenues are up in the current year. “Business is lifting,” he said.

During the year under review — to the end of February 2014 — Rihanna was one of the club’s guests and Mr Hughes said that last year the club had an “excellent year”.

Mr Hughes and his first cousin Liam Lahart head up the Porterhouse group that employs 550 people across its pub network in Dublin, London, and New York.

He said that business in London and New York is “excellent” due to the higher margins enjoyed there.

Lillie’s Bordello opened 23 years ago and Mr Hughes and Mr Lahart purchased the Grafton St venue for a reported €5.5m figure in 2004.