THE STAGE AT the Royal Hospital, Kilmainham, was set with an array of sunflowers, ferns, votive candles in glass jars and an armchair covered in red velvet.
Even the roadies wore three-piece suits. How very Leonard.
The man himself arrived on stage just five minutes after the appointed time of 8pm as many fans were still making their way back from the glacial queues for champagne (€20 a glass), cocktails and beer.
Wearing a grey charcoal suit and a fedora, he doffed his hat to the crowd. "Shall we get started?" he said before opening with Dance Me to the End of Love.
"Don't have us wait another 20 years," shouted one fan from the front row, referring to the two decades since Cohen last played Ireland. "I don't have another 20 years," came the laconic reply from the 73-year-old.
Sitting directly in front of him was Minister for State for Local Services Michael Kitt whose emotions after the Lisbon Treaty defeat were probably reflected in the mood of the music.
Also in the mostly middle-aged audience were Minister for Justice Dermot Ahern, Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams, author Pat McCabe, singer Josh Ritter, U2 manager Paul McGuinness and broadcaster Joe Duffy.
The 2½ hour set, to a crowd of 12,000, featured the best known songs from Cohen's peerless 40-year oeuvre. Crowd favourites included Suzanne, Bird on a Wireand Hallelujah, which drew a standing ovation. He read the lyrics of the song A Thousand Kisses Deepand concluded by saying it was a great privilege to be able to say the poem in this great city of poets and writers.
Cohen plays two more concerts tonight and tomorrow night at the Royal Hospital.
Read a review of last night's concert on ireland.com today
