Tuesday was Ballymun artists' night, with an exhibition at Dublin Corporation's civic offices in Wood Quay. Seventeen artists from the Ballymun, Santry and Poppintree areas are exhibiting paintings, sketchings, sculptures and more in the building. Dublin's deputy Lord Mayor, Councillor Brendan Brady, opened the evening by encouraging people to buy tickets for the raffle of one of John Duffy's watercolours. The Ballymun artist is a part-time youth worker hoping to get a studio for his colourful abstract works. Admiring the endeavours were MEP Bernie Malone and Brendan Kenny, principal officer with Dublin Corporation.
Earlier in the week, the children were getting into the occasion with all their heart at the POD on Sunday. Among the giant smarties, plates of choccy biccies and glasses of squash were numerous stars of TV-land showing their support for Heart Children, a support group for the families of children with congenital heart defects. The charity was launching its fundraising campaign, to take place over Valentine's weekend, when its distinctive red windmills will be sold on the street across the state.
On hand for autograph-signing was Pauline McLynn, who is off this weekend to Galway, to make a documentary about growing up in the city. Having just finished filming Angela's Ashes and playing in the Christmas play The Gingerbread Mix Up, she was having "her Christmas break now". Full of news, she continued that she will also be on view in a new sitcom for ITV, called The Dark Ages, about the millennium 1,000 years ago. "I play an upwardly mobile peasant," she said. Fellow former Father Ted cast member Frank Kelly was also there. He has just joined the Glenroe cast - he plays Morris, about whom he would only divulge that "he isn't what he appears".
Tina Kellegher, of Ballykissangel, was chatting with co-star Eric Myles. Tina is also on a hard-earned break, saying she's finally getting a bit of housework done. She's back on set, however, in Wicklow in March.
Myles has just finished making a short film, called Flush, he says, which will be shown at the Dublin Film Festival in April.