Punters pay big bucks to say Hello, Mr President

Some 450 prosperous folk turned up at the Burlington Hotel yesterday, for champagne and canapes, an elaborate lunch, and an address on "Leadership for the Future" by the 42nd president of the US, Bill Clinton.

Of these, around 20 particularly prosperous, paying punters also had the opportunity of a swift meeting beforehand with the man himself, a swifter handshake and a matey photograph. Grown men (and some women) in pin-striped suits arrived from all over the country, queued up at an anonymous door, disappeared for a moment and emerged like children from Santa's grotto with stars in their eyes.

Kieran Argue from Meath was one. "I said, 'Hello Mr President'. He said 'Hello' and said 'Nice to meet you guys'. Then they took a picture. Lovely man. Don't ask me how much it cost me . . . it was worth every penny. He's the most famous person that ever was."

If it was just Kieran and his son, it would have cost him €2,000 for the basic outing, and another €3,000 (plus VAT) for the grotto visit for himself. Or if he was on a Platinum table (the best position in the house) and in a group of 10, it would have set them back €10,000 (plus VAT) between them, but would have included a grotto visit for one lucky member of the group. Exceptional value. Those at "Executive" tables of 10, by contrast, paid a trifling €7,500 but had to view the president from afar.

Well-known faces in the blissed-out crowd included VIPs such as Lord Mayor of Dublin Vincent Jackson, Albert Reynolds, (at a table hosted by Joe Cosgrave, the builder), Dick Spring, boxer Steve Collins, Ronnie Delany, Dot Tubridy and Ryan Tubridy, Senator Mary O'Rourke, Senator Tim Dooley and Royston Brady. Jim Mansfield of Citywest Hotel and Louis Copeland (who presented a tie to Mr Clinton) were on the list as was CiaráHaughey, in the news for paying some €690,000 in outstanding tax liabilities owed by Celtic Helicopters. He was at a table hosted by organisers Paul Allen & Associates.

Enda Kenny was a no-show but was probably more gainfully employed elsewhere.

The truth is the famously charismatic Clinton, now 60, seemed tired out; recent days have seen him engage in a frenetic round of fundraising ($7 billion in 2½ days) for his foundation, a "red-eye" to the Ryder Cup, a quick drop-in on his friend Tony Blair at the Labour Party conference before pitching up at the Burlington.

He was obviously exhausted as he launched into a mini version of his routine leadership address, which lasted 30 minutes, followed by questions and answers.

Nonetheless he spoke without notes, his memory for numbers faultless, even if he tended to confuse which point he was on. His most admired world leader? Mandela. His choice of superhero? Superman.

"Intelligence, ability and dreams are evenly spread across the earth, so I would be Superman and give all the children of the world a chance to live their dreams."