Compiled
JAMES GIBBONS
Raising a glass to fine wine
Fabrice Rosset, the chief executive of Champagne Deutz, flew into Dublin from Geneva on Thursday for the night. He was at the Shelbourne Hotel for a dinner attended by some readers of The Irish Times. Guests included Joe Doyle of Donnybrook Fair and Anthony Alken, owner and managing director of Febvre.
Guests drank champagne in the George Moore Suite before moving into the Constitution Room, where executive chef Garry Hughes – who appeared recently on Masterchef – offered a champagne-inspired menu to match each of the cuvees. Irish Times wine critic John Wilson introduced Rosset, who gave readers brief explanations between courses.
Among the readers were Mark Waldron and Conor Farrell, who recently founded Independent Beverage Innovations, which produces such drinks as a baby Guinness in a shot glass. Cepta Ball from Castleknock was looking forward to a “glamorous night out” with her partner, Frank Clonan, and friends Jackie Connolly and Ciaran Mulhern. James Sweeney of the Shelbourne Hotel helped the evening to run seamlessly.
The Caribbean on South King Street
THERE WAS a carnival atmosphere outside the Gaiety on a cold Wednesday evening for the opening night of Robinson Crusoe and the Caribbean Pirates. Music blared, panto pirates mingled with the crowd, and sweets were given out to little people and not a few big people.
Actors’ agent Julian Benson was one of the first to arrive, with his associate Nikki Reamonn. They were ostensibly there to see their client Richie Hayes play the part of “Achew Crusoe” – but were enthusiastic about the audience participation too.
Benson is one of those selected by RTÉ to mentor an entry for February’s National Song Contest, which will choose our representative for Eurovision next year. “I intend to give Jedward a run for their money,” he said.
John Costigan, managing director of the Gaiety and producer of the Christmas show, said he was “over the moon with this year’s show. It is one of the best productions in 16 years. It’s a cracking good show.”
He was catching up with line producer Ronan Smith and radio producer Aonghus McAnally, who had invited magician Paul Daniels over to Dublin for a performance for the Society of Irish Magicians.
Paul and his wife, Debbie McGee, attended the panto as part of a three-day stay. Debbie said she loved the Gaiety, which the couple performed in back in 1995.
Kathleen Watkins arrived with her daughter Susie O’Byrne and three grandchildren Cian (7), Sadhbh (5) and Saoirse (3). The family have recently moved back from London, and the children have been enrolled in school here. Sadhbh said she was “really excited about the panto”. Cian loves rugby, football and hurling, and “he’s also taken up the tin whistle”, said Kathleen.
US policeman Torray Scales was there to see his fiancee, Samantha Mumba, play the role of Girl Friday. Her mother, Barbara, was in panto mode. "Oh yes I am, oh no I'm not! looking forward to the panto." Also enjoying the first night was Xposé's Karen Koster, AIB's Declan Flannery, journalist and author Amanda Brunker, president of Emerald Warriors rugby club Simon Finnegan and actor Frank Kelly.
When artists become patrons of the church
Thelma Mansfield, the former presenter of the TV show Live at 3and now an artist, stepped in to launch the fundraising auction for Christ Church in Dublin, which Miriam O'Callaghan was unable to attend. Thelma has donated one of her paintings to the auction, which takes place next Friday at Sheppard's of Durrow, in Co Laois.
The auction was the brainchild of the antiquarian Donal Robinson-Ryan, who was thanked by the Archbishop of Dublin, Dr Michael Jackson, and by the Very Rev Dermot Dunne, Dean of Christ Church.
Thelma’s son, Michael Morris, accompanied his mother to the launch. He is making a name for himself in the Irish art world and donated one of his street-scene paintings. He was selected by the Royal Ulster Academy to exhibit one of his portraits last month, and as well as showing with the Eakin Gallery, in Belfast, he has a solo show in the pipeline.
Michael Flatley donated an oil-on-board picture that he created by dancing on the board. The Coronas donated a drumskin signed by the band members. These will be among the 750 lots included in the auction, which will be followed by a gala ball in Durrow Castle.
What we drankWine and water
What we ateCanapes
Who we spottedStephen Hanley, manager of the Shelbourne Hotel; artist Mieke Van Mechelen, who has a piece in the auction; former minister Mary Hanafin
Olympic ambitions
Boxer Katie Taylor told me at the Merrion Hotel on Thursday morning that when she had a makeover upon becoming Procter Gamble Ireland's Olympic ambassador she couldn't see through the false eyelashes. She joined her mother, Bridget Taylor, former Olympian Sonia O'Sullivan and Paralympian Michael McKillop and his mother, Catherine, to mark PG Ireland's partnership with the Olympic Council of Ireland and Paralympics Ireland. The Morning Show's Sybil Mulcahy – who is due to have a baby in April – hosted the event.
Katie’s mother does all her daughter’s washing and cooking so Katie can concentrate on training. Katie said that she has yet to qualify for the Olympics in London next year, and her focus is still on the World Championships in China next May, when she hopes to qualify for London. Her mother said there are an awful lot of assumptions about Katie and the Olympics, but she confessed to being “quietly confident” that her daughter would qualify.
What we ateScones, cakes and finger sandwiches
What we drankTea and coffee
Art, history and memory
The former head of the department of history of art at Trinity College Dublin, Prof Roger Stalley, told me on Thursday evening that when Dr Ann Cruickshank interviewed him in 1969, she told him “never to bore the students”. He retired from the college last year but was back on Thursday for a presentation and to give a lecture on medieval stonework.
Cruickshank travelled from Donegal for the event, and many luminaries in the world of art history convened in the foyer beside the Burke Theatre for a reception. Art historian Dr Rosemarie Mulcahy wished Roger well, while her husband, Seán Mulcahy, caught up with the dean of St Patrick’s Cathedral, Rev Robert MacCarthy, who reminisced about being painted by Derek Hill.
Also enjoying the lecture was Dr Peter Cherry, who discovered a previously unknown painting by Spanish artist Diego Velázquez that sold for £3 million earlier this week at Bonhams; Dr Brendan Rooney, the curator of Irish art at the National Gallery of Ireland; Susan Keating of the Irish Arts Review; and archaeologist Dr Peter Harbison.
