Christmas with the Black tree

THE SOCIAL NETWORK:The latest member of the singer Mary Black's family to hit the music scene is Róisín O. She played her last gig before Christmas in the intimate Unitarian Church on St Stephen's Green, Dublin, on Thursday night after supporting Lionel Richie and The Coronas at the O2 last week.

Her brother Danny is the lead singer with The Coronas; Róisín said it was amazing to support him in front of 12,000 people at the O2, because she has been there “since the start, when they were playing to 50 people in Whelan’s”. Danny couldn’t make it on Thursday, as he was playing a gig in Spain.

Black attended with her husband, Joe O’Reilly, who runs the record label 3Ú and signed both acts. Frances Black, another star on the family tree, also attended.

The actor Allen Leech, who plays Branson in Downton Abbey, is home in Dublin for Christmas. He was approached by fans who expressed their shock at the death of his onscreen wife, Lady Sybil.

Who we spotted: Dan Whelan of the Hipdrop Collective, who attended with Anna Keyes; the actor Davey Kelleher.