ON THE TOWN/Catherine Foley: Leonardo DiCaprio was "an absolute gentleman", according to commissionaire Tommy Eivers, who greeted guests to Dublin's Burlington Hotel as they arrived for a gala dinner after the Irish première of Gangs of New York at the Savoy.
"He made eye-contact, was not interested in being evasive. He was very friendly, said he had a good flight and was delighted to be in Dublin".
Then the film star posed outside the hotel for photographers, telling them he'd made a special effort to come to Ireland because of Daniel Day-Lewis and that he hadn't had any Guinness yet but he was about to have a pint with him inside.
Day-Lewis himself arrived next with his wife, Rebecca Miller, the pair sailing elegantly through the foyer just as the Burlington Quartet played Handel's The Arrival of the Queen of Sheba.
With 60 rooms booked, and 800 guests about to enjoy a dinnerof North Atlantic Brill with red cabbage and cut French beans, it was all hands on deck. John Clifton, the hotel's general manager, was delighted with the night, which was organised to raise money for the Make a Wish charity.
Yvonne Palmer (16) was one of those who made a wish last year - to swim with the dolphins in Florida when she was suffering from cancer. Her wish was granted. She's better now and last night her parents, Marie and Oliver Palmer from Rochfortbridge in Mullingar, Co Westmeath (Joe Dolan country, they said), along with her brother Jeffrey (14) and her boyfriend James Craig (20) were all together for the night of star-sprinkled glamour and razzmatazz. The rock and film-stars were all out in force - The Edge, Neil Jordan, Bono and Hollywood mogul, Harvey Weinstein.
Day-Lewis's performance in the film was the talk of the night. "If he doesn't win an Oscar for this, he'll never win again," said boxer Barry McGuigan. "He is absolutely riveting, unbelievable, he's almost bigger than the movie." Jim Sheridan and his wife, Fran, were all praise too.Brendan Gleeson was there, having just finished filming Cold Mountain.
Cian McCormack (10), who plays the young Leonardo DiCaprio character, showed off the lavender lining of his cool pin-stripe suit jacket. His parents Veronica and Denis and his younger brother, Dáire, looked on. No wonder DiCaprio asked this young man for his autograph?