Some good news from Irish PR agency Fleishman Hillard and it’s not about a client company.

Turnover rose by 4.9 per cent to €4.27 million in 2011, while its pre-tax profit was up by one-third at €393,373, according to latest accounts.

“Current trading is good and we are seeing growth against this year,” general manager Rhona Blake said.

* In a rare speech after receiving the outstanding achievement award at the Cork Chamber dinner in Dublin’s Burlington Hotel this week, Fexco founder Brian McCarthy shared some memories of the days when banks were solvent and auditors wore three-piece suits.

Back in 1966, McCarthy was working for the then Munster Leinster Bank in Cork.

Rumours were circulating that it was going to merge with the Provincial and Royal banks to form what is now known as AIB.

The auditors were in Munster Leinster at the time. They were all male, wore three-piece suits and spoke neither to staff nor each other. Nevertheless, the young McCarthy plucked up the courage to ask one of them about the merger rumours.

He received a sharp reply: “Young man, in time of war, one never discusses troop movements.”

McCarthy said he’s been wary of speaking to auditors ever since.