I made a return visit to the Four Seasons Hotel on Friday and spent practically my entire day and night in its opulent surroundings.
The annual ISPCC lunch was hosted there and, as always, it attracted the great and the good. Gráinne Seoige, Shelly Corkery and Dalton Philips of Brown Thomas and Norma Smurfit, with her daughter Sharon O'Brien, all turned out in style to support the charity. Indeed, Brown Thomas previewed their Autumn Winter international designer collection, with many of the ladies taking mental notes of the upcoming looks.
Later on in the evening I attended a most glamorous gala with a red theme, namely the Have a Heart Ball, which was in aid of The Heartbeat Trust. I was well placed at the Social & Personal table, where I was near guest of honour, and first to grace the red carpet, Miss World, the truly beautiful Maria Julia Mantilla Garcia.
In excess of €100,000 was raised on the evening, with auction items such as a red Mini Cooper, a Paul Sheeran diamond necklace and a Knuttell painting contributing to the final total.
Among the glammed up and gorgeous were Miss Ireland Aoife Cogan, Triona McCarthy, George McMahon, Andrea Roche and PJ Mansfield, William Doyle of Newbridge Silverware, Siobhan McClafferty and Mark Kershaw, who next week launches his A1 Grand Prix group, A1 Team Ireland, with His Highness Sheikh Maktoum Hasher Maktoum Al Maktoum.
