A big platter for the Little Museum
The general manager of the Cliff Townhouse hotel and restaurant on St Stephen's Green in Dublin, Drew Flood, personally delivered a large platter of Carlingford and native oysters to a party at the Little Museum of Dublin on Wednesday evening. The host at the museum, Trevor White, was delighted to see Flood, who walked the short distance and was assisted by Christopher Przwmyski, who works in the restaurant. Flood likes to walk and is looking forward to going home to Rostrevor, Co Down, for four days over Christmas to walk in the Mourne Mountains with his dog, Rupert.
Angela Tangianu, the attache for cultural affairs at the Italian embassy, was pleased to meet him at the party. "The Cliff Townhouse is my favourite restaurant," she told Flood.
Tangianu was catching up with her friends John Pat Colclough and Miriam Campion, who arrived at the party from their Dublin pied-à-terre around the corner on Kildare Street. Colclough, a conservation architect, was soon in conversation with the artist Robert Ballagh.
Ross Forde dropped in to the party from William Fry solicitors with his friend and fellow Corkonian Michael Duncliffe, who has just completed a postgraduate degree in biomedical engineering.
Mark Mulqueen, the head of communications at the Houses of the Oireachtas, walked over from Kildare Street with his colleague Cáit Hayes. Mulqueen, from Limerick, used to run the Irish Film Institute. When pushed, he said that "artists and politicians are quite similar and have the same attributes". Hayes said that White had approached them to lend something to the museum and that they had given a copy of the original photograph of JFK addressing a joint sitting of the Oireachtas. Although the Dáil finished sitting this week, Mulqueen and Hayes won't start their holidays until next Friday.
White was delighted to see Derbhle Crotty, whom he referred to as "the best actress of her generation". She was catching up with the artist James Hanley RHA, who recently curated an exhibition at the museum for White. One of the pieces he chose, by Caroline McCarthy, is gold-plated "monster munch", depicting the excesses of the Celtic Tiger. Hanley is working on commissions and is preparing for an exhibition next September at the RHA Ashford Gallery.
What we drank: Wine, water and orange
What we ate: Oysters
Who we spotted?Joe Dunne RHA; Dublin Web Summit's Paddy Cosgrove; artist Tom Mathews; auctioneer Ian Whyte; comedian Abie Philbin Bowman; and Aidan Doyle, who reminisced about being a scion of the Doyle family of Doyle's Corner in Dublin
Jammers in Jammet's
When former senator Mary Henry “came up to Trinity from Cork”, she was sharing a flat with the late Rosemary Harris, whose family owned Magee Tweed. “The family used to include me in their dinner parties in Jammet’s [restaurant]. It was very glamorous,” she told me at the launch of Jammet’s of Dublin: 1901-1967, published by Lilliput Press.
Jammet’s was the place to dine in Dublin from 1901 to 1967, and a cast of thousands played out their roles there, including Princess Grace, Ingrid Bergman and Audrey Hepburn.
The event took place at Lillie’s Bordello, the site of the original Jammet’s, on Tuesday evening. Henry’s husband, John McEntagart, was also on familiar ground. His grandfather ran the Empire restaurant, which Mrs Jammet bought.
Alison Maxwell wrote the book, which incorporates a memoir by Shay Harpur, who rose from cloakroom attendant to sommelier. He passed away in 2001. Harpur’s wife, Jackie, in a speech, thanked “my agent Jonathan Williams, whom I haven’t even met”.
There was a problem with the amplification at the launch party, where Bruce Arnold was the main speaker. Susan Jammet was also there with her daughter Josie. She recalled travelling over to Dublin with her late husband, the architect Michel Jammet.
Djinn von Noorden told me that it was Lilliput publisher Antony Farrell’s birthday. “It’s nothing significant,” quipped Farrell, “just 61”. He had hosted a Christmas party at the Lilliput Press on Sitric Road.
Dr John Maiben Gilmartin walked over to the launch from Pembroke Road. The poet and senior counsel John O’Donnell travelled over from the Law Library.
Dr John Wallace bought two books and left before the speeches to head for the calmer environs of the Horseshoe Bar.
What we drank:Impossible to get near the bar
Who we spotted:Former Labour TD Liz McManus; rally driver Rosemary Smith; author Christopher Fitz-Simon
What we listened toBruce Arnold going down memory lane
Gem of a night
David Andrews, chairman of Weir Sons (and not the former minister) walked the floor of his Grafton Street shop on Tuesday evening, making sure that the firm's 200 guests were being well looked after. He is the great grandson of Thomas Weir, who founded the firm in 1869. His son, Chris Andrews (not the former TD), also greeted guests. He was joined by his girlfriend, Mary Jayne McFerran, who arrived from the Four Courts. She's from Newry and is practising at the Bar. She wore a necklace by Missoma that had a chrysoprase stone.
Weir's Festive Evening for friends and customers has been a tradition of the firm since 1975. Champagne, mulled wine and canapes flowed on three floors, and some guests walked away with gifts from a prize draw.
Guests included gemologist Natasha Sherling, tax accountant Andrew Kenny and actuary Matthew Brophy, from Dalkey, as well as Image magazine's managing director, Richard Power, and Justin Thompson from Swatch.
Carberry nets racing award
The horse-racing industry's annual awards were presented in Leopardstown, Co Dublin, on Monday by Minister for Agriculture Simon Coveney. Jockey Nina Carberry, who had had a fall the previous day at Punchestown, picked up Horse Racing Ireland's outstanding-achievement award. She is looking forward to her wedding in February, as she is engaged to Ted Walsh jnr, a brother of Ruby. The couple live in Skryne, Co Meath, and a host of guests from the equestrian world are expected to attend the ceremony.
Aidan O'Brien's family were at the awards lunch en masse. Joseph O'Brien, who is 18, scooped the Flat Award after a remarkable season of 57 winners, beating his father, Aidan, who was nominated for the same award. Joseph's mother, Anne Marie (a former trainer), chatted to Jessica Harrington. His sisters Sarah and Anna and brother Donnacha were thrilled for their brother.
Other guests included National Hunt trainers Noel Meade and Gordon Elliot; flat champion Johnny Murtagh, who flew in from Hong Kong and met up with his old weigh-room colleague Michael Kinane; and Dermot Weld, his wife, Mary, and their sons Mark and Kris.
Glorious festivities
Olga Packham travelled to St Patrick's Cathedral in Dublin from Kinsale on Thursday to see her son, Ian Packham, conduct a Christmas concert by Glória, Dublin's lesbian and gay choir. She was lucky to get a seat, as it was a packed house. Her son, a member of the choir and the principal of Kildare Place School, in Rathmines, stepped into the role earlier this week when musical director Michael Finlay experienced, as Ian Packham put it, a "health hiccup". Minister for Arts Jimmy Deenihan arrived to open the concert but had to leave shortly after his speech.
Packham gave us a running commentary between the Christmas carols, which included such favourites as Hark! The Herald Angels Sing and Angels We Have Heard on High. There was the odd surprise: When You Wish Upon a Star made an appearance, as did The Lord Is My Shepherd. Packham noted that we were in a cathedral of the Church of Ireland, which ordains women. So we heard the Howard Goodall version of Psalm 23, which is the theme tune from The Vicar of Dibley.
Mulled wine and mince pies followed the performance. Also enjoying the concert were the jeweller John Farrington and the managing director of Catapult event production and design, Ronan Healy.
