AS the Ferrero Rocher advertisement says, "The Ambassador's receptions are noted for their excellent taste," and the farewell party for popular Spanish Ambassador Fermin Zelada and his wife Clara on Thursday in their Ailesbury Road residence was thronged with the tasteful.
Former EU Commissioner Peter Sutherland and his wife Maruja led the tributes to His Excellency Zelada, who had been in residence for five and a half years and now moves on to Israel. The ambassador was known as a friend of the arts during his sojourn in Dublin and this was borne out by the presence of Ray Keaveney, director of the National Gallery, and Bill Finlay, former governor of the gallery as well as artist Patrick Hickey.