Revenue secures judgement against pub company owned by Galway politician

Fianna Fáil Senator Ollie Crowe is a majority shareholder in Crowe’s Bar (Galway) Limited and was a director of the company until 2017, while his brother Michael is still a director.

Revenue has secured a judgement against the firm for €8,070 plus costs of €773. The judgement is currently listed as unsatisfied, but both brothers have said the debt has since been discharged and moves are underway to change the status of the judgement.

Michael Crowe blamed the judgement on “an oversight” last week, and said he had asked his solicitor to take the “necessary steps” to update the status of the judgement to “satisfied”.

Company records show that the tax judgement was secured by Revenue in September 2024. The debt remained outstanding until January 2026 when the full amount was paid, according to both brothers.

“That was an oversight which only came to light last year,” said Michael Crowe. “I have checked the records and it was paid via bank draft obtained in December 2025, which was sent to the Revenue, where it was offset against the outstanding amount in January 2026.

“Revenue confirmed to me this morning that payment was received in full in January 2026. I have asked my solicitor to take the necessary steps to update its status to satisfied on the system,” he added.

Ollie Crowe also said the debt had been “paid in full” last January. “As such, the judgement is satisfied and the registration of this will be updated to reflect same,” he said.

Revenue typically applies to a court for a judgement against a debtor when formal collection notices and routine compliance interventions have failed to resolve an outstanding tax liability.

Once the judgement is granted, Revenue usually registers it in the Central Office of the High Court, making the liability a matter of permanent public record.

Once an outstanding liability has been discharged, the subject of the debt judgement may apply to the High Court to have its status changed from “unsatisfied” to “satisfied”.

Crowe’s Bar (Galway) Limited is the company through which the pub of the same name was operated on Bohermore until the property was sold in January 2021.

In March 2023, Ollie Crowe amended his Seanad Declaration of Interests after admitting that he had “erred” by failing to include his ownership of the bar and his 75% shareholding in the company.

Ollie was the sole owner of Crowe’s Bar from 2003 to January 2021, according to Land Registry documents. On his declaration of interests for 2020, 2021, and 2022, however, he wrote “nil” in the sections relating to both “shares” and “land (including property)”.

Asked about the omissions, he explained that he had “decided to step back” from Crowe’s Bar in 2017 after more than 25 years, and said he had no financial or beneficiary interests in the business since then, having handed over the running of the bar to his brother.

The most recent accounts filed to the Companies Office for Crowe’s Bar (Galway) for 2019 show that it had fixed assets valued at €23,249 and current assets worth €36,050.

It made a profit of €70,668 that year but accumulated losses amounted to €77,890. A total of €132,689 was owed to short-term creditors.