2. The Weston Family

Running the sewing machine that stocked the first Primark store on Dublin’s Mary Street must feel like a lifetime away for Hilary Weston (78), the matriarch of the multi-billion euro Weston retail empire.

Dun Laoghaire-born Hilary will place much pride in the central role the country has continued to play in her family’s fortune. Her work in developing the Primark business has seen the fast-fashion business become the golden goose of the Weston-controlled Associated British Foods.