If there's one thing Gregory Peck still has after all these years, it's presence. When he spoke at the ceremony for the Ireland Funds' Literary Award in O'Reilly Hall on Monday night, he managed to silence a huge crowd of the funds' delegates from all over the world and a whole clatter of local worthies. Paying tribute to poet Medbh McGuckian, who won this year's award, he noted that she had done a stint in California at Berkeley as writer in residence in 1991 - "Why, I just missed you," and then he paused. "I graduated 11 years before you were born." Mr Peck, who was accompanied by his wife of 30 years, Veronique, is an honorary life trustee of the American Ireland Fund. Next to get a laugh was Maurice Hayes, chairman of the executive committee, who observed that these days one needed to be very careful about handing over large cheques, so he was glad he had at least 800 witnesses "to ensure transparency" as he gave Medbh her prize cheque. Kingsley Aikins, chief executive of the funds, then introduced the Harmony Singers, a cross-community choir from Drumcree who had sung for President Clinton in Washington on St Patrick's Day. All in all, the event was a great success, although the chairman of the funds, Dr Tony O'Reilly, was unable to attend. At the end of the party, Catriona Fottrell breathed a sigh of relief - as executive director of the fund in Boston, she'd had a hectic week ensuring the American delegates enjoyed their stay. Her father Pat Fottrell, who is president of UCG, and mother Esther Fottrell were at the reception. Other guests included film producer Noel Pearson and writer and academic Richard Kearney who are great pals of Gregory Peck; Bill and Jane Walsh of San Francisco, who generously gave $1,000 to each of the charitable projects represented at the evening - $34,000 in all; public speaker Hal Roach, singer Bernadette Greevy; composer Micheal O Suilleabha in of the University of Limerick; publisher Kevin Kelly and Susan Towers, editor of The World Of Hibernia, who recently hosted a dinner for the 50 "Super-Irish" in New York; Loretta Brennan Glucksman, president of the American Ireland Fund, and Muriel McCarthy, keeper of Marsh's Library in Dublin, who opened a splendid exhibition of early printed maps and atlases in the library on Thursday.
Metal at the mill
Last Sunday may have been Midsummer's Day, but that's no guarantee of good weather in this country. So guests at the unveiling of sculptor Catherine Delaney's huge cast-iron piece, Enclosure, in Thomastown, Co Kilkenny were ever-so-slightly shocked to be able to wander around drinking punch in the hot sun. Norah Norton, director of the Temple Bar Gallery and Studios, travelled from Bray to open the exhibition, but confessed she nearly didn't make it due to "getting caught up in 1798" in Enniscorthy. Norah, who was introduced by Jenny Haughton of the arts organisation Artworking, paid tribute to the "awesome beauty" of the piece, and also used the occasion to deplore the lack of funding for young artists. Others admiring the sculpture, which is installed in an old mill owned by Canice Hogan, included Margaret Cosgrave, the arts officer of Kilkenny County Council; Angela Rolfe and Brian Hamilton of the OPW; Jadzia Kaminska of the Bosnia charity Cradle, who was just back from Mostar on a short break; Tim Mawe from the Department of the Environment; composer Trevor Knight and artist Alice Maher, who arrived from Waterford where they are working on a play; artists Rachel Joynt and Remco de Fouw who cycled from Dublin; sculptor and milliner Wendy Judge, just back from New York; architect Ciaran Og MacMathuna and RTE publicist Eleanor Collier.
Oh yes they are!
Given the success of their Christmas programmes, it's hardly surprising the Gaiety has decided to proffer an unknown quantity - the summer pantomime. John Costigan, executive director, announced details at a lunch on Wednesday. Instantly pre-empting any suggestions that a pantomime might be a little unseasonal in August, John made the rather astute point that the weather is usually pretty much the same anyway.
The pantomime in question is Beauty And The Beast and will star that Dorian Gray of the shuffle-shoe world, Lionel Blair, who unfortunately could not make the Gaiety lunch, and Sophie Lawrence - Diane Butcher "off of" EastEnders - who was. She says she is hugely looking forward to staying in Ireland. The only problem is: "All the friends I've ever had have decided they want to come and visit. It's like the word has gone out on the grapevine `Sophie's in Dublin, yeah! Let's go mad in Dublin.' I'm going to be sightseeing every day if all these people really do turn up."
The other highlight of the Gaiety year will be the triumphant arrival of Jim Nolan's play, The Salvage Shop, to Dublin. Originally performed by the Red Kettle Theatre Company, of which Jim is the artistic director, it was a huge success and is going to come to the Gaiety for the Dublin Theatre Festival next autumn. Niall Toibin will remain in the lead role, which was one of his first stage roles in some time: "I was asked was I interested and I said no. And then I was asked would I read it and say what I thought of it. So I did and I called back immediately and said I'd do it - it was the best script I've ever been asked to read," he says. For the Dublin revival, Noel Pear- son has come on board as producer. He spoke of plans for his film of Dancing At Lughnasa, which will have its world premiere in Dublin at the end of the summer, when the cast will be here. ere, The following day, the whole shooting match will head up to Glenties in Donegal, the setting for the play, where Noel plans to show the film in the school hall.
When its a Shaw thing . . .
`It's a tribute to a strong woman. I had to be there," said Olive Braiden of the Rape Crisis Centre at the opening of George Bernard Shaw's Saint Joan at the Abbey Theatre on Wednesday. Certainly a lot of people were intrigued by a performance of a play that has not been seen on the Abbey stage since 1972, when Siobhan McKenna took the title role. Brian Farrell was there in one of his first social engagements as the new chairman of the Arts Council.
Actor Eamon Kelly received salutations on all sides - he was the subject of a major benefit night at the Abbey last week, organised by John McColgan. Meanwhile playwright Thomas Kilroy, recently appointed as the Abbey's writer in residence was chatting to poet Micheal O'Siadhail. Playwright Tom Murphy was also there to cheer on his partner Jane Brennan in the title role. E's director-general, Bob Collins; designer Mary Gregory; playwright Hugh Leonard; actors Barry McGovern, Lisa Harding and Marion O'Dwyer, who is to play opposite Anjelica Huston in The Mammy, and sculptor Laurent Mellet who is in the middle of constructing a lifesize copper Icarus for the up-coming Sculpture in Context exhibition in Kilmainham Gaol.
Coming home with the tome
It was a fairly successful homecoming for lawyer Anne Logue, who arrived from Brussels with husband Hugh Logue to mark the publication of her book on EU law and state monopolies. Anne co-wrote the book with French lawyer Francoise Blum, who she first met in the law firm Clifford Chance. Anne now runs her own law firm in Brussels while Francoise lives in Paris, but the pair teamed up to work on the book which was formally launched by Peter Sutherland at the European Commission yesterday afternoon.
Guests included US ambassador Jean Kennedy Smith; Noel Treacy, Minister for Science and Technology; Colm Larkin, who's in charge of the commission here and his wife, Orlagh, also a lawyer; and Brian Loughney, owner of Kitty O'Shea's pub in Brussels, who opened a new venture - the Sean O'Casey - to much fanfare just last week. Anne's family also flocked to the party including daughter Antonia Logue, who delivered the final draft of her first novel to Bloomsbury on Monday; son Christopher Logue, who's working in the Roslin Institute, home of the famous clone, Dolly the sheep, in Edinburgh; and Anne's sister, Deirdre Bretney, from California.
Fascinated by Scheck's DNA
Nissan executive chairman, Gerard O'Toole, booked US criminal defence lawyer Barry Scheck for the company's annual lecture way back in January, little knowing how impeccable his timing would be. Scheck spoke in Trinity's main theatre on Monday night, just a few days after the arrival home of Louise Woodward, who he famously defended. "Louise fever" was in the air, as he was well aware. "After my talk tonight, I'll be answering questions and, yes, I will answer any questions you have about O.J., Louise, Abner Louima" - he raised his hands in mock defeat - this is a man who knows only too well the interest of the general public in America's high-profile trials. However, if there was ever an audience interested in Barry's main topic - the future of DNA testing and the law - this was it. Just about every judge, senior counsel and solicitor in the country turned up to hear what Sheck had to say and even subject him to a little cross-examination.
Spotted among the columns of three-piece suits were Supreme Court judge, Mr Justice Henry Barron; the president of the High Court, Mr Justice Frederick Morris; High Court judges Mr Justice Paul Carney, Mr Justice Declan Budd, Mr Justice Michael Moriarty; and from the Circuit Court, Judges Dominic Lynch, Liam Devally, Cyril Kelly, Kevin Haugh, and Patrick Frank O'Donnell. Senior counsels included Harry Whelehan, Dermot Brereton, Ercus Stewart, Barry White and Bernadette Cronin. Solicitors included Bruce St John Blake, Liam de Feu and David Prentice and from the academic side came Professor William Binchy and Ivana Bacik of TCD.
Ready for the off
This Sunday is Derby Day and even as you read this people are dusting off the binoculars - the Budweiser Irish Derby usually attracts a gang of people who are as interested in the off-track events as the races. The excitement kicks off tonight when Budweiser hosts a party for more than 300 international guests at the K Club in Kildare. Tomorrow, the guests invited to the racing include the Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern, and a host of other politicians; director Jim Sheridan; film producer Noel Pearson; RTE's Carrie Crowley; Polygram's Paul Keogh; paper tiger Michael Smurfit; promoter Denis Desmond and designer Paul Costelloe.
Meanwhile, in the funkier, Bud World Lizard Lounge, where the music will be supplied by Colm Walsh and the Velure nightclub gang, actress Lorraine Pilkington, comedian Patrick Kielty, singer Kerri-Ann and model Karen O'Reilly are all expected.