To celebrate his 60th year in the beef business, Larry Goodman held a function in Dublin on Friday last.

In the region of 2,000 staff, friends and family attended the event in the National Convention Centre. It was not just meat factory staff who were in attendance – representatives from other arms of his vast empire were there, including senior staff from pet food company, C&D.

Entertainment came from Killinaskully’s Pat Shortt, as well as a children’s choir of which Goodman is a patron.

Goodman, who turned 77 in September, shows no sign of slowing up. In the past 18 months, the beef baron has further spread his empire with the purchase of a second beef plant in Poland. In August, it was reported that Goodman was close to securing another 8% of the Blackrock Clinic; he already has 28% of the private hospital.

A firm controlled by Goodman also unveiled plans for a multimillion euro development of the old Bank of Ireland HQ in Dublin – a building which the Goodman family bought in late 2012 for €43m.

There is also the expansion of his feedlot in Louth, which hasn’t gone unnoticed by farmers.

Goodman left school before the old inter cert and in 60 years he has amassed a reported net worth of €650m as well as a high-profile beef tribunal chapter along the way.