To celebrate the move of the Irish consulate into permanent offices in Edinburgh's posh Randolph Crescent, some 30 of the city's most prominent Irish residents threw a surprise party last Friday for the consul Dan Mulhall, his wife Greta and his deputy Michael Lonergan. Led by Albert's daughter Mirian Reynolds, a solicitor and owner of the Cafe Politik restaurant, her husband, accountant Niall Fogarty, John Dixon, a dealer in Georgian antiques who emigrated from Kilkenny 18 years ago, and a lone Scotsman David Mercer, they inveigled their guests along to a supposedly quiet dinner. The premises will be opened officially at the end of the month, as will the consulate in Cardiff, by David Andrews.
It is probably wiser to have next Thursday's UK local elections out of the way before the Minister arrives as, in Scotland particularly, Ireland and our great - if recent - success at independence constitute something of a campaign issue. Labour will sweep home in Wales, hence there will be an assembly not a parliament, because they have little wish for independence.
In Scotland, Labour will be the largest party, joining a coalition with either the Scots Nats or the Lib Dems, but as latest polls show them just short of a majority they may form a minority administration under Donald Dewar. A state-of-the-art Scottish parliament will be completed by 2001 but the new parliament, the first in Scotland since the 1907 Act of Union, will be opened in the Church of Scotland assembly rooms by Queen Elizabeth on July 1st. The Taoiseach Bertie Ahern has been invited as have the Ceann Comhairle Seamus Pattison and the Cathaoirleach Brian Mullooly.