The city is going to be overrun with American heavyweights this weekend and no, I don't mean large Yankee boxers. American ambassador Jean Kennedy Smith has invited a few prestigious friends to come and stay with her in the Phoenix Park residence and speak at a conference hosted by herself and Trinity Provost Thomas Mitchell on Monday.
Playwright Arthur Miller, Angela's Ashes author Frank McCourt, and author and historian Arthur Schlesinger are the three Pulitzer Prize-winners coming. Richard W. Riley is the US Secretary of Education and George J. Mitchell is a former US senator and the independent chairman of the multi-party talks in Northern Ireland.
Elaine Tyler May is a Fulbright, scholar in American history in UCD, while Alan J. Pakula is a film director with such classics as All the President's Men and Klute to his name. Phew.
The magnificent seven will be arriving at the Park tonight and, tomorrow morning and in the afternoon will join the rest of the population at the Curragh for the Derby Coincidentally, tonight is also the night of the Irish Fulbright Alumni dinner in Trinity, which Richard Riley and his wife Tuaky Riley, Elaine Tyler May and Alan Pakula along with his wife Hannah, will be attending.