There was some surprise among the small Irish community in China when they heard the Taoiseach mentioned on the news headlines of the state-controlled English-language China Radio International this week. Real Time Beijing, the equivalent of Morning Ireland, wasn't announcing an official visit or indeed that as a member of the UN security council we had achieved a breakthrough in the search for world peace and happiness.
Rather China Radio grandly proclaimed that the daughter of the Irish prime minister, Bertie Ahern, was to get married to a member of Westlife. Westlife, it must be explained, are huge in Asia.
It appears the radio station jumped the gun as Georgina Ahern and Nicky Byrne are not officially engaged yet, according to this week's Hello!, which has a glossy spread on the couple, with photos posed in a French chateau. But then, that is probably where China Radio International picked up the story in the first place.
Quidnunc can be contacted at rholohan@irish-times.ie
