`We want to expose ourselves to you", cried the invitation from Universal Music and despite not usually welcoming requests of this nature, I just had to accept. Dave Pennefeather, Universal Ireland's managing director, gathered together any number of music industry folk, radio DJs and music retailers in Planet Hollywood on Tuesday for a bit of a shindig and to show us what the record company is up to.
There was some exciting news regarding Marie Brennan, for years the voice of Clannad. Just that afternoon, Universal had signed a licensing contract for her solo album, which was recorded in Nashville and will be released next month. Words bandied about described it as very Celtic, pop but ethereal, mythological and religious - a kind of "Faith Of Our Mothers" if you will.
Another special guest of the evening was racing driver Eddie Irvine, who was home in Ireland on two days "R & R". After surviving the Universal bash he headed back to Marinello, the home of Ferrari in Italy, but he is shortly to depart again for the Australian Grand Prix. On his way to the Antipodes, Eddie is going to "pop" in to Japan, to catch up with old friends he made while working on the Japanese Formula 2000. Eddie was accompanied by Des Large, brother-in-law of Ed- die Jordan and a big cheese in the motor industry himself.
Other music folk included Anne- Louise Kelly currently manager of Gavin Friday and Maurice Seezer whose soundtrack to Jim Sheridan's The Boxer is coming out this Monday, and her husband Ned O'Hanlon of Dreamchaser Productions. Ned has recently returned from New York where Dreamchaser was in charge of televising the 1998 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ceremony for American TV.
Barbara Galavan and Trevor Bowen of Celtic Heartbeat both popped in too, and there was also a clatter of radio folk - including Tony Fenton, Bob Conway and Michael Cahill of FM2. There was a short presentation on what Universal are doing and what we can expect, but that aside, well, it was a good excuse for a party.