It comes as no surprise to learn that artist Maura Austen spent her childhood in India - the bright canvases dotted around Tosca's restaurant on Tuesday evening's opening night were full of hot, bright colours. This was her first solo show and several members of her family turned up to support her including her brother, artist Paul Austen, mother Sheila Austen and aunt Sister Maeve O'Nolan - sisters both of the wickedly funny writer Flann O'Brien, who died when Maura was only two.
Film-maker and member of the late and lamented band The Horslips, Barry Devlin was doing the opening night honours accompanied by his wife, broadcaster Caroline Erskine. To the question "What are you up to now?" Barry grinned and said "Have you got all night?" - the short answer is a re-write of a film entitled Alice Graham for Polygram and two other film projects which are in that "don't mention the war" stage of pre-production.
Other opening night punters included Rob Kirwan, the sound engineer on U2's Pop album, who has just finished work on Pelvis's first album - although the album has not been released yet, the band appeared alongside Lenny Kravitz and Pulp on the Later With Jools Holland show last Friday. His partner Lorna Healy, lecturer in NCAD and sometimes presenter of Later On 2, came along too.