Dana revels in return to the media firing line

The photographers wanted her to sit at a table which was set for lunch. "Are you going to feed me?" asked Dana. "No, just shoot you," replied a smiling cameraman.

Yes, Dana was in the firing line again yesterday. But Vincent Browne was nowhere to be seen this time and the Presidential campaign was only a memory - a pleasant one at that. Four months on, this was the start of a belated lap of honour.

In Bewley's for the launch of a video by the pregnancy counselling service, Life Ireland, she was among some of her most ardent supporters. They came to witness again the style that won her widespread admiration and 14 per cent of the Presidential vote, and they were not disappointed.

As ever, Dana radiated sweetness and reason, even on the subject of politicians. "I know abortion is a difficult subject for them, and I understand their frustration with it and their fear of it. But there comes a time when they just have to bite the bullet."

Afterwards, she shook hands and beamed on her admirers, but her affection wasn't reserved exclusively for the faithful. She greeted journalists like old friends, touching arms and saying yes, of course she remembered them from the election campaign.

And even if you suspect Dana doesn't really know you from Adam, you still get a warm feeling from talking to her and you come away determined to be a better person.

Posing for the cameras again, she was asked to gaze into the middle distance, somewhere over Grafton Street. This was a cue for questions about her future, but apart from her love she was giving little away. Yes, she said, she has agreed to do a television programme with independent producers Tyrone Productions, "but it's up to RTE to decide if they're interested in it - I wouldn't want to be presumptuous about that". She also remains open to the idea of running in the European elections, but there's her eight-year-old son to think about and she doesn't like the idea of being in Brussels "four or five nights a week". She hopes to talk to some MEPs on her current visit, but suggests Europe might have to wait. In the meantime, the more immediate future sees her embark on a clockwise tour of Ireland. A lap of honour? "A lap of thanks, really."

After a television interview in Scotland today, the tour starts with an address to the Trinity College Law Society on Tuesday. On Wednesday, she's in Portlaoise to help the local hospice. Thursday sees her in Cork, while on Friday she'll be in Killarney and other parts of Kerry, before continuing on to Limerick.

Next weekend, the route takes in Connacht-Ulster, the Euro-constituency which features most in speculation about her political prospects. On Saturday, she visits Galway and Sligo and the tour ends on Sunday in Donegal.