Thursday night's party at the Bank of Ireland Arts Centre in Foster Place, celebrating Michael O'Siadhail's new book of poetry, Our Double Time, turned out to be a real meeting between the art world and the State.
The Minister for the Arts etc, Sile de Valera, raised a laugh with her description of Ireland as "a nation of poets" unlike other nations more renowned for their "shopkeepers, scientists or generals". And we all knew to which country she was referring. Mr Justice Declan Budd spoke to Prof David McConnell about his snazzy new genetics department at Trinity College, while the British ambassador, Veronica Sutherland, enjoyed the company of High Court judge Ms Justice Catherine McGuinness.
There were a number of theatre folk at the event, reflecting Michael's interest in all things dramatical, including the Gate Theatre's deputy director, Marie Rooney; playwright Bernard Farrell; Tony O'Dalaigh and Eithne Healy of the Dublin Theatre Festival. Of course the writing profession was well-represented too, with John Horgan, Tim Pat Coogan and Anthony Cronin there to wish Michael well.
John Bruton, leader of Fine Gael was there as was Patricia Quinn, head of the Arts Council; Harold Fish of the British Council, and Prof Alan Harrison of the department of Celtic Studies at UCD.