Keeping an eye on autumn

NO televisions were thrown through the windows of Dublin's Clarence Hotel but Karen Fitzpatrick, a rock'n'roll babe with Warner…

NO televisions were thrown through the windows of Dublin's Clarence Hotel but Karen Fitzpatrick, a rock'n'roll babe with Warner Music until last year, didn't mind a bit. As publicist with TV3 organising the station's launch of its autumn schedule, she was very business-like with no hell-raisers in tow. "I left all that behind, all the prima donnas are in the music world," she explained. TV3's Canadian boss, Rick Hetherington, and wife June have been enjoying B&B-hopping around the country. "I loved Clare - there's something beautiful down there. And Wexford." He misses hot dogs but loves the weather here. "You don't get three foot of snow."

CUE, the sun - it was the eerie silence on board the plane that impressed Michelle Mahoney, Nokia's head in Ireland. She viewed the eclipse over Cornwall from the plane hired out by Eircell. Everyone, including the eight politicians on board, fell silent as the sun darkened. Then it was back to sunny Dublin to launch her company's newest mobile phone.

Artist Terry Bradley (check out his work at Reynard's in South Frederick Street) was there, too, as creator of a jazzy design on a limited number of the new Nokia 3210 phones. "I look about 50 years old," said the former model who blames eight-week-old son Zac for keeping him and partner Ashley Forsythe, a medical photographer, up at night.