There were two high points during Monday night's ESB/ Rehab People of the Year award in the Burlington Hotel. One was when Mary Robinson took the stage to be given the special adjudicator's award and received a huge standing ovation, the other when Michael Martin went up for his. Of course all the recipients were equally worthy but there was something about the sheer energy of Michael, a 24-year-old with Down's syndrome, as he line-danced, cycled and swam to raise money for charity that seized everybody's heart.
Lainey Keogh, the knitwear designer, also received an award. With next winter's collection already well underway, she celebrated with Catriona Ward, who is busy working on the film of Amongst Women, and her sister Irene Keogh. The RTE table included Ray D'Arcy as well as guests Brian Keenan and his wife Audrey. The Rehab table was hosted by Frank Flannery and his wife Marguerite MacCurtain, stunning as usual, in black. Their guests included ambassadors Jean Kennedy Smith and Veronica Sutherland, Minister of State Liz O'Donnell and her American guest Janet O'Brien; Lt General Gerard McMahon and his wife Suzanne MacDougald of the Solomon Gallery.
Other guests included the Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern, who presented the awards; Seamus Brennan TD; Bob Collins, director general of RTE; Dermot Doyle, chairman of ESB and Ken O'Hara of the ESB and his wife Greta.