Mouths watered as a cake shaped like an opened manuscript arrived. It was cut at a party to mark the launch of Philip Casey's latest novel, The Fisher Child (published by Picador), which is the final book in his Bann River trilogy.
It was right to have a cake: there was good news all round from the assembled poets in Buswell's Hotel at the launch. Poet and publisher John F. Deane was beaming after hearing the news that he has been awarded the Arts Council's Martin Toonder Award, worth £8,000.
Tony Curtis was pleased also, having just put the finishing touches to his latest collection of poetry, What Darkness Covers. The poems are now ready for the publishers. All cheered when Pat Boran, poet and programme director of the Dublin Writers' Festival, and his new bride, Raffaela Tranchino, arrived, following their recent marriage in Siracusa, Sicily, which was attended by a number of friends, including Curtis and Theo Dorgan. Poets Enda Wiley and Peter Sirr were also here, following their recent marriage.
Some of Casey's oldest friends at the party included Paddy Doyle, author of The God Squad, and Jim Greeley, of the Richard Lewis design studio on 22 Frederick Street.
Writer Anthony Glavin met Templemore native Leo Cullen, whose book, Let's Twist Again, was launched last week.
Casey's mother, Anne Cassidy-Casey, was present, watching out for the arrival of his two brothers, Peter and John Casey (who is a teacher in St Joseph's Secondary School in Lucan). His sister, Karina Casey, who took the author's photograph on the inside of the book's dust jacket, was there already.