THE biggest problem facing hungry award winners after the National Entertainment Awards was where to find a decent restaurant that's open and still serving late on a Sunday night after Christmas. Neil Jordan and Stephen Rea eventually tracked down a table at La Stampa and headed there instead of staying in the National Concert Hall, where the party really began once RTE's TV cameras were switched off.
The party spread throughout the reception areas in the NCH, but the place to be was backstage in the artists' bar which was jammed with high spirited award winners.
Daniel O'Donnell spent the entire time sipping lemon drinks (he was another of this season's flu victims) and signing autographs - in fact the sheer number of evening frocked women queueing up for his signature was one of the many surprises of the evening (usually at black tie events people are a bit more blase in the presence of stars).
Wearing a very smart striped suit Daniel changed from the frock coat he wore on stage - he admitted to feeling exhausted and looking forward to a long holiday somewhere hot. Also heading off for a break was Gay Byrne, who left the party early - with daughters Crona and Susie - he was off to join Kathleen Watkins in their holiday home in Donegal - first thing the following morning.
