Pre-tax profits at tobacco firm PJ Carroll last year fell 6% to €8.4m as the number of cigarettes legally bought in the State last year fell from 4.3bn to 4.1bn.

IRISH smokers purchased 4.3 billion cigarettes from companies in the tobacco industry last year, new figures show.

TOBACCO firm PJ Carroll saw its pre-tax profits plunge from €10.1m to €4.8m last year as the number of cigarettes smoked in Ireland fell to 4.5 billion from 5.1bn.

PROFITS at PJ Carroll cigarette company fell by more than €20 million last year, according to its most recent accounts. Carrolls, which has been in business for 180 years, said profits plunged because of restructuring of the company.

Former Bank of Ireland chief executive Ian Morrison has died aged 75.