ON Tuesday night, the Taoiseach John Bruton invited all our Irish MEPs, North and South, to dinner at one of the oldest and most exclusive restaurants in Strasbourg, the 15th-century Maison Kammerzelle in the Place de la Cathedral. Eleven of the 18 turned up and while Ian Paisley and Jim Nicholson were not among them, John Hume was.

There was lobster to start, then monkfish and salmon in a sauce and then lamb. The pudding was apparently so delicious and exotic that it defied description by all the diners to whom Quidnunc spoke.

The Taoiseach, who was in Strasbourg to address the European Parliament, gathered the views of the MEPs on all current Euro issues.

But it wasn't all serious and a good many jokes were told. Indeed the Bruton laugh was heard long and loud. He was flanked by FF's Gerry Collins and FG's Mary Banotti and Labour's Bernie Malone was placed opposite. FE's Niall Andrews took the snaps.

The whole exercise was obviously good for the Taoiseach's ego. When he made a brief stop at a nearby restaurant to greet a group brought out by Ms Banotti, they broke into applause at the sight of him. And the same thing happened the next morning when 65 Munster visitors, being escorted by Pat Cox, went through a wrong door and ran into the Taoiseach. A great cheer arose.

Then the Taoiseach bumped into that great Europhile, the former British PM, Sir Edward Heath, who was there getting the EPP Group's Schuman medal in honour of his contribution to European politics. The pair were seen in friendly and lively conversation for a good few minutes.