Recent company law in Ireland has led to the listing and publication of all the directorships an individual holds. It has revealed Laurence J Goodman holds directorships in 122 companies.

That’s a lot by any standards, but is by no means an exhaustive list of Goodman’s business interests. These are just the companies of which he is a director.

It still makes for fascinating reading. There are, of course, the ABP companies – seven of them. ABP Foods Unlimited Company is registered in Ireland, and ABP Food Group Unlimited is registered in Jersey.

Then there are Anglo Beef Processors, Anglo Beef Processors Holdings and Anglo Beef Processors UK, all registered in the UK; and Anglo Beef Processors Ireland Holdings Unlimited and Anglo Beef Processors Ireland Unlimited Company, both listed in Ireland. That’s quite confusing to read – imagine trying to remember which company’s board meeting you had just attended.

Just as there is a slew of ABP companies, no less than seven “Parma” companies of one form or another are listed. Parma is the development wing of Goodman’s empire. The companies concerned are registered in Ireland, Jersey, the UK and the Netherlands. There are a number of companies in the healthcare sector, such as Blackrock Clinic Limited, Blackrock Hospital Limited, Galway Clinic Doughiska Limited, Hermitage Clinic Limited and Hermitage Medical Developments Limited.

There are three companies linked to C & D Foods, the petfood company founded by former Taoiseach Albert Reynolds.

Jersey connection

In all, Larry Goodman is a director of no less than 51 companies registered in Jersey, almost as many as the 59 Irish-based companies. There are nine in the UK, two in the Netherlands, and one, Lurgan Chilling, is listed as being registered in Northern Ireland.

A look through the directorships held by senior ABP executives reveals CEO Frank Stephenson is listed as a director in 70 companies. Many overlap with Larry Goodman’s list, but some do not.

For instance, Slaney Foods International Company, Slaney Foods Unlimited Company, Wexford Proteins Limited and Wexford Beef and Lamb Unlimited Company. ABP is a shareholder in these companies, following its controversial purchase of 50% of Slaney Foods back in 2016. Stephenson is a director, but Goodman is not.

I’m looking forward to the book that someone out there must be writing.