Diva into January

Well, the season of cloistered excess has come and gone for another year. Let's hope all those levitating sleighs and re-runs of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang over the last few weeks will have given inspiration to car manufacturers, trying to design a vehicle which will commute with ease from A to B in Dublin.

On Tuesday, the French embassy held a reception at the Herbert Park Hotel for the launch of Carnaval de Rio, published by the French press, Editions Plume. It may have been a murky evening without the walls, but within, there was an explosion of colour, as screens played footage from the famous carnival.

Diva Pavesi, who wrote the introduction to the book of photographs, was born in Brazil, where she worked as a television presenter for several years. She had written her own press release, which included the line: "In February 1985, Diva appeared in Playboy at the same time as other top models of that time, such as the Playmate of the year, Roberta Close, who was still a man."

"I have spent five years in Lisbon, seven years in Paris, two years in London and three months in Ireland," said Diva, who speaks five languages. "And in these three months, I already know so many more people here than I ever got to know anywhere else. Irish people have many things in common with the Brazilian people - they like life!"

"You need colour and warmth at this time of year," the French ambassador, Henri de Coignac confided. "We thought the launch of the Carnaval book would be a good idea," confirmed Jean Pierre Cunard, the first secretary and press attache. Given the abundance of exotic costumes, Jacques-Michel Lacroix, the Deputy Cultural Counsellor, admitted that it would be useful to be related to his couture namesake, Christian Lacroix.

The Brazilian ambassador, Armando Sergio Frazao, was also in attendance, looking a bit wistful as he passed and re-passed the images of Rio on the screen. Diva's French husband, Nicolas Pavesi, who is the president of Remi Martin cognac in Ireland, took pictures throughout the evening.

Adekunle Gomez, director of the African Cultural Project, was also there. "Our next big event will be a retrospective exhibition of Jurgen Schadeberg in the Gallery of Photography in March," he said. Schadeberg, who will travel to Dublin for the launch, was the first photographer employed by the famous Drum magazine, whose readership was the black population in South Africa.

Examining the photographs with keen interest were several members of Masamba, including Peter Keena and Simeon Smith. They are a Dublin samba band, some of whom are flying out to San Salvador and Bahia next month to learn more about the music. Other guests included Christian Barbie, who is the general manager of Groupe Schneider in Ireland, and his Brazilian wife, Maraelene; Denis Caulfield of Oman Moving and Storage; and Mary Rose Crotty of Lotus.

Goodies and oddies

On Wednesday there was a great gathering of cameras at the Gallery of Photography for the presentation of the second ESB Environmental Photography Awards. More than 3,500 prints were submitted to the competition, which aims to raise public awareness of our natural surroundings. A selection of the shortlisted and winning prints were on display in the gallery, and the exhibition will tour the country over the year, starting in Sligo Arts Gallery on February 3rd.

Ken O'Hara, chief executive of the ESB, introduced the Minister for Public Enterprise, Mary O'Rourke, who was doing the honours for the second year in a row. "And my wish is that I'll be returning to do this again and again," she quipped, which would seem to indicate that Bertie Ahern doesn't have snap elections on his mind at present.

Most of the 12 winners in the Junior, Youth, Amateur and Professional categories were present to accept their goodies of cheques, certificates and trophies. Elaine Wynne (11), from Edenderry, won first prize in the Junior category for a picture entitled Dad at the Tip Top of Ireland - Malin Head. Both Elaine's Dad and Mum were there to cheer her on.

Other winners were John Wallace of Glanmire; Edward Delaney of New Ross; and John Crowley of Clonmel, who had submitted a stunning sepia picture entitled Standing Stones.

Ex-Goodie turned ornithologist and environmentalist, Bill Oddie said a few words. "In case you were wondering," he began, "I didn't arrive on a three-seater bike. I came on Ryanair." This provoked much amusement among the assembled, several of whom suggested the two methods of transport were not dissimilar.

That Eurosong time again

Since January 1st, we've been hearing a lot about the euro. But it could be argued that the ultimate euro is that irreplaceable, ancient nugget of kitsch, the Eurovision song contest.

On Wednesday afternoon, RTE took over the Grafton Suite at the Westbury Hotel to present the composers and singers of the eight Eurosongs. The singers will appear week by week on Kenny Live, in the lead up to the Irish final on March 7th.

The eight entries will be performed by: Nigel Connell, Brendan Keely, Barry Doyle, Tommy Quinn, Maggie Toal, Proinsias Mac An Tuile, Gary O'Shaughnessy, and sisters Bronagh and Karen Mullen. The Irish-language song this year goes by the pan-Euro title of An Bon Bon Carr, described by Pat Kenny as "a psychedelic song about an auld fella who gets a lift in a car and ends up in Tir na nOg".

The song's co-writer, Brid Ni Mhurchu, agreed this was an accurate description. "I was inspired by the potholes on the Galway and Mayo roads," she confessed.

"Because of the significance of the millennium, RTE would love to host the Eurovision here next year," Pat Kenny declared. This pronouncement was greeted by loud applause from the RTE contingent in the room and the sound of jaws hitting the floor from everyone else. Lock up your budget surplus, Charlie McCreevey.

Hack pack for book launch

Later that evening, a large hackpack gathered in the Cellar Bar of the Merrion Hotel to celebrate the launch of John Connolly's thriller, Every Dead Thing (Hodder and Stoughton, £10). John, an Irish Times contributor, received a cool £350,000 sterling advance for his two-book deal. US rights of Every Dead Thing have already sold for $1 million.

Strange things happen in cellars. Ten minutes before John's arrival, a man legged it through a corridor of the Cellar Bar in a bloodstained overall. An over-zealous chef from the adjoining restaurant or a prop arranged by PR man of the night, Michael McLoughlin? The mystery was never solved.

The other man of the evening receiving plaudits was English agent Darley Anderson, resplendent in a pink gingham shirt and gold brocade tie, who auctioned the book over the phone last year. "We call those auctions `beauty contests' in the book trade," explained Sue Fletcher of Hodder and Stoughton. She said she knew Hodder had invested wisely when, on a trip to Dublin some time ago, "I heard the taxi-drivers talking about the book - before it was even published at all".

Among the crowds of friends and fellow journalists were the proud mammy, Brid Connolly and younger brother Brian. "And, as P.G. Wodehouse would say, I see assorted aunts in the distance," John reported, confessing that he had gone walkabout around Merrion Square to calm down before arriving. "It's all only really hitting me now," he said of his spectacular success. So what treats has he bought himself? "A secondhand car. And signed copies of Ross Macdonald's books."

And when will the second book be completed? "It'll be on Sue Fletcher's desk on Monday morning."

Turn out for the Passion

On Thursday, the President, Mrs McAleese, opened Episodes from the Passion at the RHA Gallagher Gallery, a series of paintings, prints and drawings by artist Hughie O'Donoghue. American patron and art-collector, Craig Baker, has loaned the collection to the State through the Office of Public Works.

The subject matter of all the works relates to the Passion of Christ, and several of them are on an enormous scale, being over six metres wide. Richard Ryan, Ireland's representative to the UN, was first to address the guests, followed by Mrs McAleese and poet Seamus Heaney.

Among those who attended were the artist and his wife, Clare; as well as art critic Dorothy Walker; and the recently-appointed director of the RHA, Patrick Murphy. The director of IMMA, Declan MacGonagle, and IMMA's chairman, Maurice Foley, were there, politely observing the competiton. Chairman of the OPW, Barry Murphy was overseeing the event. Also present were Minister Martin Cullen; Padraic McKeirnan, secretary general of the Department of Foreign Affairs; and Arthur Gibney.

The exhibition runs until February 22nd, after which the work will hang in a number of State buildings, pending the creation of a permanent exhibition space.