IDÔL Vodka Cocktail Party

Indulging in the IDÔL Vodka cocktails on the night were: 1. Rebecca Davies and Avila Lipsett; 2. Dillon McGrath and Triona McCarthy; 3. Andrew Rudd and Camilla Goulding; 4. Niall O'Dywer congratulates the winner Gareth Lambe; 5. Ben Bringer and Liz Giltinane.

Gareth Lambe is the new cocktail IDÔL

The party posse were out en masse to kick off the week in style at the IDÔL Vodka Cocktail Challenge which was hosted in Eddie Irvine’s Cocoon bar on an otherwise quiet Monday night. Representatives from 10 of Dublin’s top bars displayed their mixing talents to compete in the contest, which saw a very high standard of entries.

The judging panel (consisting of socialite and Life Magazine columnist Triona McCarthy, Alan Chambers of Comans Wholesale, chef Dillon McGrath of Mint restaurant and mixing expert Michael Foggarty of The Celtic Whiskey Store) had a difficult task in deciding a winner but in the end it was Gareth Lambe of Venu Brasserie who secured the top place. His innovative entry was made up of 3 parts - a shot with specially made IDÔL vanilla ice-cream, a main cocktail which included IDÔL, plum jam and oregano and the finale of a canapé which had an IDÔL infused whole grape.

Among the large crowd in Cocoon last night were actor Dave Coffey of Dan & Becs fame, who is looking forward to the much anticipated release of the popular series on DVD. Barbara McCarthy was with her pal Ben Bringer, she's on the crest of a wave with her new RTE show Highly Recommended, which also features Ben Dunne. David Chawke (son of publican Charlie) and Michael McNamara (son of Shelbourne Hotel owner Bernard) were impressed with the cocktails and enjoyed sampling the various entries.

Samantha McGarry and her friend Ruth Connolly flew in from Ghent for the party, which was also attended by Nadine Wai – O’Flynn, Emily O’Donnell and Andrew Rudd of Ireland AM. Richard Holder, of the fashion brand Tom Tailor, took time out of his hectic schedule to attend. He is busy working on the roll-out of 8 new Tom Tailor stores across the country over the next 3 months. Interior designer Judith Giltinane was there with her sister Liz, she’s just finished decorating the new Churchfields development in Ashbourne. Meanwhile Dr. Marco Lombardi, deputy head of the Italian Embassy, founder of Blacktie Niall O’Farrell, jewellery designer Rebecca Davies, PR gurus Sinead Ryan and Puffin Moynihan and entertainer Alan Amsby also enjoyed the evening.

Apart from the cocktails, the big hit of the party was Avila Lipsett, the MC, who had the guests roaring with laughter throughout the contest. Despite it being her first live performance gig she proved to be hugely popular with her witty banter which kept everyone entertained.

Second place in the contest went to Paul Lambert of Saba and third place to Zibi Kolodey of Krystle. The winner, Garth Lambe of Venu, will now be jetting off, with a friend, to New York where he will enjoy 4 nights in the trendy W Hotel.

eircom broadband frenzy

As part of Eircom Broadband Week, a celebrity head-to-head Xbox Pro Soccer Evolution ‘game off’ took part, which saw GAA All Star Alan Brogan triumph with 2 to 0 against International Rugby Star Malcolm O’Kelly. The event followed the kick off to Eircom Broadband Week, an online media briefing hosted by the beautiful UK presenter Jayne Middlemiss.

Among those at the X-Box Live Centre were: 1. Tara McClumisky and Jamie Heaslip; 2. Malcolm O'Kelly and Jenny Buckley; 3. Rachel Kavanagh and Virginia Macari; 4. Izabella Chudzka, Tara O'Leary, Jenny Buckley and Virginia Macari.

Cocktail Hour

Enjoying the Bombay Sapphire cocktail party at the launch of Design Week were: 1. Sandra Byrne and Nadine Wai - O'Flynn; 2. Karim Rashid and Leighton Wall; 3. Joanne Peat and Liz Dolan; 4. Richard Harris and Siobhan Bucanan - Johnston; 5. Claire Jennings and Shauna Cullen; 6. Kevin and Helen Behan.

Design Week 2007

The elite of Ireland’s design community turned out in their hoards to see the biggest design event of the year, the launch of Design Week 2007 in Association with Bombay Sapphire. Karim Rashid, internationally acclaimed designer and leading figure in the fields of product, interior, fashion art, furniture and lighting design, made his first exclusive visit to Ireland to launch this prestigious week long series of design focused events, exhibitions and showcases. What promised to be the biggest design coup of the year, the launch of Design Week 2007 did not disappoint!





Hosted by Bombay Sapphire in the impressive Banking Hall of the Westin Dublin Hotel, the night was a huge success with designers, celebrities and socialites alike! Those who attended to see the world renowned Karim Rashid included Triona McCarthy, Sandra Byrne, Nadine Wai-O’Flynn and Norman Pratt. Faces from the world of interiors and design, including Alexander Fitzgerald, Alanna Gallagher and Amanda Cochrane hung on to the every word of Karim Rashid while sipping the stylish Bombay Sapphire Appletinis and Bombay Sapphire Rose cocktails.





Also present for this exclusive talk by Karim Rashid were John Pearson of Edward Dillon and Company, Enda Mullin, General Manager of the Westin Dublin and Area Manager of Starwood Hotels and Resorts, socialites Avila Lipsett, Frances Winston and Andrew Rudd.





All those attending on the night were eager to meet with Karim Rashid, who is best known for designing for an impressive array of clients incuding Alessi, Geor Jensen, Umbra, Prada, Miyake and Method. After just publishing his new guide to living “Design Your Self”, Karim was delighted to help launch Design Week 2007 in Association with Bombay Sapphire.

houseworks launch

Pictured at the launch of the new houseworks showromms are: 1. Brian O' Driscoll and Mark Shortt; 2. Ciara and David Ryan; 3. Suzanne Arbuthnott, Melissa Walsh and Sarah Shortt; 4. Suzanne Arbuthnott, Melissa Walsh and Sarah Shortt.

There was a great turn out for the interiors event of the year last night - the unveiling of the €1.5 million new houseworks ltd. showrooms in Erne Street. Irish Rugby Captain Brian O’Driscoll, Cullen Allen and Colum O’Sullivan Of Cully and Sully, Kathy Hoffman from City Channel, Arthur Duff of Duff Tisdal and Tom Kennedy of Alias Tom were among the high society guests who travelled from near and far to the landmark launch.



The ever-charming Mark and Rosie Shortt, husband and wife owners hosted a fabulous Wolf Blass Chardonnay Semillon reception and guests enjoyed a range of Sheridan's cheeses while admiring the fabulous interiors of the premium kitchen and furniture showroom. Siematic Moebelwerke Chief Executive Mr. Ulrich Siekmann, Dieter Muehlenweg also from Siematic as well as Rolf Benz Chief Executive Mr. Frieder Loehrer all jetted into Dublin for the celebrations at the 14,000 sq ft. showrooms.

Heeeee's here...

Sile Seoige pictured with Dustin and Santa Claus at Dundrum Town Centre.

It was bright lights and jingle bells as Santa Claus arrived at Dundrum Town Centre last week and performed the official turning on of the Christmas Lights, where over a million starlight bulbs were set to illuminate the centre and the smiling faces of all the children. Now, I know it's still November and trust me, I do think it's too early for ANYTHING remotely connected to Chirstmas to be seen or heard but, hey, it's for the kids. Yes, the lights on Grafton Street are pretty impressive and the windows at BT have thankfully reverted back to a more festive theme (remember last year's creation?) but if I were in charge (more's the pity I'm not) I would place an embargo on all Christmas marketing until, say, December 10th. That way we all wouldn't be so sick of it come the 23rd.



Anyhoo, on arrival at Dundrum, the merry man in red was accompanied by special guests Dustin the Turkey, Sile Seoige and Aidan Power from the hit TV show Class Act, along with some of the show’s finalists who performed during the evening. After turning on the lights, he (Santa that is, not Aidan Power) made his way to his spectacular Dundrum based Winter Workshop, which is located on The Mill Pond, in Town Square, where he met the crowd who were eagerly awaiting his arrival.


And they'll be even more eager by the time the 25th of December rocks around!

Club! Man...

At the spectacular Mini Clubman launch were: 1. Izabela Chudzicka and Jenny Buckley; 2. Mary O'Keeffe and Emer White; 3. Nicola Bissett; 4. DJ Arveene; 5. David Brittain, Avila Lipsett and Nick Thomas.

Mini Clubman launch party

Recently, under the unblinking eye of Nambulc, Ringmaster Extraordinaire… and in front of hundreds of eager fans, the new MINI Clubman was finally unveiled in the curious surroundings of The House of Oddities, located in the midst of Dublin’s rejuvenated city quays.


The arrival of the new MINI Clubman has been keenly anticipated since the concept was first shown in 2005. Also referred to as The Other MINI, it is a MINI for a new generation. It oozes the personality of its MINI cousin but with a deliciously individual twist. The swinging ‘60s had a hand in the Clubman development. The new car takes inspiration and styling cues from the Morris Mini Traveller, Austin Mini Countryman and the Mini Clubman Estate. The new MINI Clubman nevertheless stays true to the successful, modern MINI design language.


With a modus operandi of ‘Fun needs space…’ and ‘Predictable is boring…’ the event to mark the arrival of The Other MINI certainly espoused those traits. The House of Oddities turned the traditional car launch inside out, back to front and put it firmly back onto a whole new level.


In a warehouse transformed into a carnival of the unusual, MINI Clubman made its debut under the watchful eye of Nambluc, the Ringmaster and a cohort comprising the Animal Trainer, the Young Knife Thrower Apprentice, the Clairvoyant, the Human Cannonball & the Charlatan. Also in attendance were actor Dave Coffey, TV presenter Jenny Buckley, Benoit Bringer and Avila Lipsett, Sarah Heaney and BMW MD Sean Green, Wes Quirke and designer Graham Cruz.


This unconventional, old-style travelling circus fused with avant-garde theatre performance art known as The House of Oddities is the natural home of the MINI Clubman. Special guests, also making their Irish debut, included Lucifire - the internationally renowned purveyor of the finest quality burlesque pyrotica - bringing her feisty & fiery abilities to the evening’s proceedings and Cirq-U - the death-defying aerial duo - performing physical theatre to the delight of the 500 invited guests.


All these elements combined to ensure that the MINI Clubman’s arrival in Ireland was a night that no one will forget.

Mint - Taste Sensation

Pictured at the tasting evening in Mint were: 1. Larissa Nolan and Ben Bringer; 2. Triona McCarthy and Niall O'Farrell; 3. Andrew Rudd; 4. Laura Woods and Claire Clifford; 5. Chef Dylan McGrath with Nick Munier and his wife Denise; 6. Gillian and Frank Kelly.

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Gourmands were out in their droves on Wednesday night, descending on Ranelagh for a special tasting evening in Mint restaurant. Hosted by chef patron Dylan McGrath, it showcased the great culinary talents on offer there. Always evolving, always changing, the award winning chef has quickly gained a reputation for cooking fresh and beautiful food that constantly pushes the boundaries.

Since last year, he has amassed a loyal following of foodies, and this evening was no different. Among the diners were Nick Munier of Hells’ Kitchen fame, he himself no stranger to top class food. Accompanied by his wife Denise, Nick is working towards another solo exhibition of his artwork.

RTE presenter Laura Woods was also there, as was Niall O’Farrell, Patrick Mangan of Clerys & Co. and John Gordon. Beauty expert Triona McCarthy was keeping hush about her latest project but hosted a cocktail party back at her plush new apartment on Grafton Street later that night. Adding to the atmosphere on the evening was the presence of a TV camera crew who will be following Dylan for the next number of months as part of a documentary to be screened next year.

Image: Golden Age gala party

Image Magazine and Universal Pictures recently hosted a special screening of Cate Blanchett's new movie Elizabeth: The Golden Age, followed by a party at the Hugh Lane Gallery at which original costumes from the movie were on display.

Pictured at the Moet & Chandon reception were: 1. Lisa Harrison and Mina DeVito; 2. Siobhan O'Dowd and Sam McGarry; 3. Angie Dromgoole; 4. Rose and Kevin Kelly with Image Editor Melanie Morris; 5. Avila Lipsett, Astrid Brennan and Emily O'Donnell.

Malibu Babes

A seriously easy going party was hosted by Malibu in 4 Dame Lane recently with limbo dancers and music from Frank Jez. Enjoying the tropical feel (and Malibu cocktails) were: 1. Sonia Harris and Louise McDermott; 2. Norman Pratt and Avril Collins; 3. Julian Benson and Rebecca Burrell; 4. Vanessa Byrne and Louise McDermott; 5. Una Healy and Eoin Macken.

The Business

Pictured at "Look the Business" were: 1. Grainne and Joanne Dever with Roberta Howett; 2. Andrea O'Grady and Catherine Heaney; 3. Shelly Corkery and Stephen Sealy; 4. Silvia Sitar and Hannah Moore; 5. Marie McGrath, Jane Morgan and Claire Feeley.

Look the Business

The hottest fashion event of the year ‘Look the Business’ took place in Dublin’s Mansion House on Wednesday 24th October 2007. Hosted by The Gloss Magazine in partnership with Vodafone, and with standing room only, this sell-out catwalk show was attended by over 530 top female business leaders. Guests who were lucky enough to get a ticket were treated to an evening of fashion and inspiration with advice on how to turn high fashion trends into real life work chic.

For the first time ever in Ireland, top designers & retailers including Brown Thomas, Prada, Armani, Hermes, DKNY, Theory, Hugo Boss, Quin & Donnelly, Helen McAlinden, Avoca Anthology and Marks & Spencer came together to offer women, working-wardrobe solutions, acknowledging that working roles require different approaches.

Former Fashion Editor of American Vogue and Glamour Magazine and now trend expert for Theory, Silvia Sitar outlined some of the key catwalk trends and how these could be incorporated into a work wardrobe to give it that edge. She aaid “To optimise the little bit of time each of you has to get ready, you need to assemble a wardrobe that is classic at its core but versatile with its statement pieces; be it chiffon blouse, opaque tights, oversized tote, a leather glove or a waist cinching belt”.

As well as enjoying a Moet & Chandon champagne and IDOL vodka reception, guests left the show with a Gloss goodie bag, which included gifts from Marks & Spencer, Helen McAlinden and Smashbox Cosmetics and Vodafone presented each guest with a sleek black V226 mobile.