Crime pays — at least the fictional sort — for Ireland’s bestselling children’s author, Eoin Colfer as new figures show accumulated profits at his firm jumped 134% to €1.669m last year.

Irish children’s book series Artemis Fowl could become the next Harry Potter as Hollywood giants Harvey Weinstein and Robert De Niro are backing a big-screen version of Eoin Colfer’s novels.

Louth schoolgirl Evanna Lynch has beaten more than 15,000 hopefuls to scoop the role of Luna Lovegood in the next Harry Potter blockbuster.