ST PATRICK'S night was not, for some, a rowdy night at the pub but an evening of cocktail dresses and session music when the Lord Mayor, Brendan Howlin, hosted the annual ball in aid of the Central Remedial Clinic in the Burlington. An occasion which usually attracts visiting Americans, the ball was also supported by the likes of Bertie Ahern; Jim Mitchell; Frank McGee, CEO of Dublin Tourism; the Finnish ambassador, Timo Jalkanen; and the Turkish ambassador, Murat Ersavci.
These last two were celebrating their first St Patrick's Day in Ireland and both said they enjoyed the parade immensely. They were surprised by its lightheartedness, they said, adding that they had both witnessed parades in Tehran where self flagellation played a large role.
British ambassador Veronica Sutherland, glittering in blue like CRC founder Lady Valerie Goulding, indicated she preferred stage to street drama. She professed that Irish theatre was one of the reasons she was delighted with her posting, although ironically, it meant she missed Martin McDonagh's The Cripple Of Inishmaan, which recently closed in London.