The 20 richest entertainers in Ireland (and the ridiculous amounts they’re worth) have been revealed

A combined wealth of €2.7 billion between them. Nice work if you can get it.

It will come as a surprise to absolutely nobody that U2 are the wealthiest Irish people in the entertainment business thanks to a combined net worth of an estimated €647 million.

Bono and company sit atop the list of the 20 wealthiest entertainers in Ireland, which will feature in the 2018 Sunday Times Rich list, to be published this coming Sunday, 25 March.

U2 are joined by the likes of Michael Flatley, Enya and Liam Neeson in the top 10, with young whippersnapper Niall Horan (the only person under 40 on the list) occupying 15^th place and Daniel O’Donnell just about making the top 20 (see list in full below).

The Sunday Times Irish Rich List surveys the wealth of the 300 richest individuals and families on the island of Ireland in a variety of areas including entertainment, sport, business, technology and construction.

Among the names that might not be as familiar as U2, Neeson, Horan and company is Mark Burnett, president of MGM Television and the king of reality television, having devised The Apprentice, Survivor and The Voice.

His wife, Derry-born Roma Downey, is chief content officer of the faith and family division of MGM Television and co-produced the TV mini-series ‘The Bible’, which has been seen by 100 million people.

The Sunday Times Irish Rich List has been compiled by journalists Colm Murphy and Robert Watts using a wide range of accounts, annual reports, shareholder filings and other sources as well as usually private information shared by those who feature on the list.

The complete Sunday Times Irish Rich List, detailing all 300 entries from all over Ireland, will be published in The Sunday Times this weekend and online here.

20 richest entertainers in Ireland

1. U2 (Music) 2018 wealth: €647 million (Up €2 million)
2. Mark Burnett and Roma Downey (TV) 2018 wealth: €443 million (Down €16 million)
3. Michael Flatley (Dance) 2018 wealth: €230 million (Down €5 million)
4. Denis Desmond and Caroline Downey (Entertainment) 2018 wealth: €202 million (Up €3 million)
5. Paul McGuinness (Music) 2018 wealth: €143 million (Up €1 million)
6. Enya (Music) 2018 wealth: €118 million (Up €1 million)
7. Liam Neeson (Film) 2018 wealth: €113 million (No change)
8. Paul Anderson and Family (Cinema) 2018 wealth: €99 million (No change)
9. Moya Doherty and John McColgan (Entertainment) €92 million (Up €5 million)
10. Paul and Mary Ward and family (Cinema) €91 million (Up €3 million)
11. Jack Higgins (Books) 2018 wealth: €73 million (No change)
12. Pierce Brosnan (Film) 2018 wealth: €72 million (No change)
13. Sir Van Morrison (Music) 2018 wealth: €63 million (Up €1 million)
14. Sir Daniel Day-Lewis and Rebecca Miller (Film) 2018 wealth: €56 million (Up €1 million)
15. Niall Horan (Music) 2018 wealth: €52 million (Up €8 million)
16. Bob Geldof (Music) 2018 wealth: €42 million (Down €7 million)
17. Chris de Burgh (Music) 2018 wealth: €41 million (Up €1 million)
18. Colin Farrell (Film) 2018 wealth: €41 million (Up €1 million)
19. Graham Norton (TV) 2018 wealth: €38 million (Up €2 million)
20. Daniel O’Donnell (Music) 2018 wealth: €31 million (No change)

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