THE intensely sociable nature of Dublin's triennial piano competition was underlined at a lunch party in the Conrad Hotel last Thursday. Even though the event formerly sponsored by GPA but now benefiting from the support of Guardian Insurance - isn't taking place until May 1997, its supporters are already gathering together lunches and dinners over the months ahead.
This should certainly be the case for Guardian boss Gerard Healy and his wife Celine, because they've just moved into a new home (no problem about getting cover for, this).
Having previously lived in Foxrock, they've now opted for the country air of Rathmichael surrounded by a couple of acres.
Temporarily out of their own home, music promoter John Ruddock and his wife Doreen are looking after their son's Dalkey house. Alan Ruddock, who has been Irish editor of the Sunday Times for the past few years, has been holidaying in the Bahamas before he takes up a new post next week - as deputy editor of the Daily Express in London.
The Ruddocks were sharing a table on Thursday with Mafra O'Reilly who was showing photographs from her recent trip to Tokyo and Tahiti; Mrs O'Reilly's regular travelling companion Harold Clarke - wasn't at the lunch, but showed up in more than one of her pictures. Late arrival of the day was architect Ida Delamer who came straight from a ceremony in Dublin Castle creating her the first female brother of the Goldsmiths Society.
Mrs Delamer will be presiding over another ceremony in her Howth home this evening; she's hosting a small dinner party for the likes of Ann Fuller, Laurie Cearr and John O'Conor. It's 10 years since this group first came tip with the idea of an international piano competition for Dublin, and how better to mark that anniversary than with a social gathering?