Distinctive Irish flavourfor a night of glitz and glamour

Gala dinner: Preparations for tonight's Ryder Cup gala dinner are well under way at the Citywest Hotel in south Dublin. Some 1,400 guests are expected for the six-course meal of Irish food.

They will be entertained by two Irish acts during the evening. Both menu and acts have been kept secret by the hotel and will not be revealed until tonight.

The Ryder Cup players, who must attend the function as part of their contracts, will be accompanied by their partners. Guests are expected to include US ex-presidents Bill Clinton, George Bush snr and Jimmy Carter.

A handful of US dignitaries will also attend, as well as Hollywood stars, including Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones, and a "who's who" of Irish business.

The designer of the K Club golf course, Arnold Palmer, will also be at the dinner. He flew in to Weston airport by private jet earlier this week and checked into the Citywest Hotel with his family.

The former English cricket player Ian Botham has also arrived at the hotel with his partner, while snooker player Denis Taylor checked in yesterday, also with his family. Both sportsmen will be attending the gala dinner.

The wives and girlfriends of the US team arrived at the 1,300-room hotel on Monday evening.

At their disposal for the duration of their stay is a super-stretch Chrysler limousine. The half-a-million euro vehicle seats 10 and includes a full bar, TV, music system and heated leather seats. The limo will be used to bring some of the players and their partners to the gala dinner.

Staff working at the hotel have been screened by security in advance of the high-profile event, which will be televised in the US.

Dublin chef Dermot O'Shea arrived at the hotel early this morning to prepare for the event.

A veteran of such gala dinners, O'Shea fed 2,400 people on Sunday night following the All-Ireland football final.

The chef was more nervous than excited about the prospect of preparing a meal for the prestigious event.

"There will be 30 people working in the kitchen and the pressure will come when we have to serve the courses on time," he said.

Serving the meal will be like a military operation, 120 waiting staff will serve the entire six courses in two hours.

But the 31-year-old Dubliner is confident they will cope.

"I work better under pressure," he said. "It'll be some craic all right, but we've done high-profile gigs here before so it will be fine."

The menu was designed in consultation with Ryder Cup organisers, he said and is 100 per cent Irish and organic where possible.

Ryder Cup organisers were also in charge of the decoration of the function room and the seating arrangements.