Profits soar by 500% at company behind popular Galway pub and restaurant

The bumper financial performance at the popular pub, restaurant and venue saw accumulated profits at the Westend Music Limited surge from just under €2.5 million to over €3.2 million during 2025.

Gary Monroe, 52, is listed as the sole director of the firm, which is wholly owned by Derek Martin Griffin, 53.

The latest accounts show that there was a six-fold increase in post-tax annual profits from €122,791 to €741,971 last year, with a cash balance of €1.11 million on the company’s balance sheet at the end of last December.

They also show that the company advanced a loan of €1.7 million to RGM Properties Limited in 2025 – a company co-owned by brothers Robert and Gary Monroe, with Westend Music Limited holding a .99% stake in the firm.

The directors of Westend Music Limited were paid €33,800 by the company last year, along with pension contributions of €14,843. The firm owed Gary Monroe €250,000 at the end of last year, the accounts show.

Staff numbers at the Dominick Street hotspot increased last year, with the company employing an average of 43 people, including 42 bar staff and one director, compared to 40 employees in 2024.

The company’s tangible fixed assets, which comprise fixtures, fittings, and equipment, were valued at €148,499 at year-end, down from €182,753 in the preceding year following a depreciation charge of €40,604.

Amounts owed to creditors falling due within one year more than doubled to €764,476 from €308,795 during 2025. This included €168,918 owed to trade payables, €171,702 in taxation liabilities, and €147,877 in accruals.

Government grants received during the period fell significantly to €9,000, compared to €124,385 during the previous financial year.