Backstreets BACK!

Backstreet party guests: 1. Michelle Montgomery & Gillian Hayes; 2. Howard Dorough & Nick Carter; 3. Kathleen Osbourne & Enya De Burca. (Pix Brian McEvoy).

Dandelion Bar on St. Stephen’s Green hosted the after show party for the Backstreet Boys recently. Following the sell out show in The O2 the boys, Nick Carter, Howie Dorough, Brian Littrell, and AJ McLean, enjoyed the best of hospitality that the great city of Dublin has to offer!

S&P Top 75

Party people: 1. Emma Quinlan; 2. Doug Baxter & Victoria Smurfit; 3. Maria Claire Nolan & Paolo Cafolla. (Pix. Conor Healy).

Leading Irish actress Victoria Smurfit was this week celebrated as the G.H. Mumm Most Invited Person of 2009 on foot of the release of Social & Personal magazine’s annual Most-Invited list.

Results of ‘Ireland’s Top 75 Most-Invited’ poll were officially announced at the annual S&P Christmas party in Café en-Seine which was attended by a host of well known faces.

The list, which reflects the people that party organisers most wanted at their events this year, was increased on this occasion from the usual ‘Top 50’ to 75 to coincide with the 75th anniversary of Social & Personal, which was established in 1934.

Speaking of her No.1 position on this year’s list, Victoria Smurfit said; “At the moment I’m playing a very mousy and un-invited PA in a TV film of Miss Marple, so this is a very reassuring and very welcome award indeed.”


This year’s Top 10 Most Invited people are:

Victoria Smurfit
Louis Walsh

Amy Huberman

Morah Ryan

Laura Izibor

Ali Hewson

Daphne Guinness

Erin O’Connor

Jamie Dornan
Laura Whitmore

.

ABSOLUT Rock

Absolut Rockers: 1. Emma Donnellan & Richard Brickley; 2. SJ Wai; 3. Michelle Doherty. (Pix Kieran Hartnett).

The latest special edition ABSOLUT bottle was unveiled at a party in the Sugar Club last week. The event, in association with Hot Press magazine, saw the bottle wrapped in a leather and studs gift pack make its debut. It was designed by Natalia Brilli and is on sale for a limited time only.

Paul Stafford Ball

At the Ball: 1. Emma Ledden & Michaela Brady; 2. Sheena O’Buachalla & Emily O’Donnell; 3. Pamela O’Duffy & Carol Byrne. (Pix Brian McEvoy).



The 3nd annual Paul Stafford Foundation Ball in aid of Suicide Prevention & Awareness was held in the Round Room at the Mansion House recently. The ball was in aid of The 3T’s-Turn the Tide on Suicide and their 1life Campaign, and raised over €70k for this most deserved cause.

The ball was a great occasion and was hosted by the well-known TV presenter Laura Woods, with band of the moment 20th Century Gold providing entertainment. Guests were greeted by bongo players and flame throwers and the champagne and cocktails flowed, followed by a banquet fit for a king.

To top the night off guests continued partying in the exclusive V-VIP Balcony in Krystle- Penthouse 995 for a private after-show party.

Think Pink at Dundrum

At the lunch: Kate & Emma Prendergast; 2. Trish Fallon & Jayne O’Keeffe; 3. Tara O’Leary. (Pix. Conor Healy).


Stylish ladies made their way to the award-winning Harvey Nichols First Floor Restaurant at Dundrum Town Centre recently for the fabulous ladies luncheon to mark the launch of Think Pink Weekend in Dundrum Town Centre.

Guests in attendance at the stylish luncheon included beauty expert Triona Mc Carthy, Marie Keating ambassador, Linda Keating, Glenda Gilson and the ever stylish Lisa Fitzpatrick and Ciara Egan of Quintessentially Ireland.

Minister for Health and Children, Mary Harney, T.D and publisher Norah Casey also gave speeches on the day, as did renowned motivational speaker Veronica Canning of Shoeisms. Other guests on the day included Grainne Seoige, Jackie Lavin and Amy Huberman.

Participating retailers throughout Dundrum Town Centre also donated a percentage of proceeds from selected sales during the month to the Marie Keating Foundation. For further information regarding the Think Pink Weekend and other planned activities in aid of the Marie Keating Foundation at Dundrum Town Centre please log onto www.dundrum.ie.

Total party

At the TMI party: 1. Natasha Thomas & Rosanna Davison; 2. Andrea Roche; 3. Brian Ormonde & Pippa O’Connor. (Pix Brian McEvoy).


The party crowd were out for the launch of Total Management Ireland hosted by Tara O’Connor at Residence Members Club, Dublin. Founded by Natasha Thomas, Total Management specialises in providing clients with experiences and access to events you may only ever have dreamt of attending.

With access to worldwide VIP events Total Management Ireland can source highly coveted tickets to events such as The Oscar’s right through to Brit Awards, London and Paris Fashion week to name but a few.

Guests on the night included Lisa and Paul Fitzpatrick, Rachel Kavanagh, Rosanna Davison, Virginia Macari, Danielle Hayes, models Jenny Lee Masterson, Joanne Dever and Ruth O’Neill.

Also there were Henry Cavill (Tudors), Andrew Fowler & Tara Leniston, Hazel Kanswaren, Laura Woods, Jenny Buckley, Miriam Ahern and Terry Mc Coy, Sinead Desmond and Anna Daly from TV3, Laura Toogood and Jennifer Maguire to name but a few.

The TM crew certainly know how to throw a good party and saw guests at Dublin’s premier members club greeted with glass of G.H. Mumm Champagne and ABSOLUT cocktails to get the party going! With entertainment by Residence house DJ with sax and bongo accompaniments guests partied until late.

Óg Ireland launch

At Óg launch: 1. Bronagh Sullivan & Gray O’Brien; 2. Valerie Roe & Virginia Macari; 3. Helen O’Dwyer & Triona McCarthy. (Pix: Brian McEvoy).


There’s money in muck and Coronation Street star Gray O’Brien (Tony Gordon) jetted into town to launch new Óg Ireland Skin Care (pronounced Oo-guh), the pioneering skincare range made from peat bog extract. Handsome O’Brien, who could be one of the Street’s most notorious villains ever, set temperatures soaring with his easy line of chat and Scottish brogue.

Joining him were models Baiba Gaile, Nadia Forde and Karen Fitzpatrick (styled by Peter Mark’s award winning Michael Doyle) to sample the healing and calming properties of Óg in the soothing surroundings of the hotel’s Sanctuary Spa before he met his fans.

Guests at the launch included model Aisling Quinn, beauty expert Triona McCarthy, TV presenter Virigina Macari, Katy Gannon, Benoit Bringer and Miss Offaly Eileen Crerar.

For thousands of years bodies have been preserved in near-perfect condition thanks to peat bog. Now Tullamore-based company Óg Ireland, run by the Kenny family, are using this natural, local resource to create a range of skincare products that are proving a winner in treating everything from acne and eczema to aging.

Hello! magazine selected the Óg Ireland Peat Mask as their ‘best beauty buy’ for summer 2009. Óg Ireland produce a wide range of products including their signature Pure Peat Face and Body Mask, Moisturiser, Anti-Aging Cream, Hand Lotion and Exfoliator, all with Peat Extract, and Foot Mask with Eucalyptus which are available online from http://www.ogireland.com/.

Karen Millen is 3

At Karen Millen: 1. Mark Arigho & Laura Woods; 2. Lorraine Keane; 3. Maria Fusco and daughter Sofia. (Pix: James Horan / Photocall)

Fashionistas beat a trail to Karen Millen on Grafton Street to celebrate the flagships stores’ 3rd Birthday. Guests were dazzled by the amazing party wear and day time casual winter looks from the classic Karen Millen Autumn Winter 09 collection.

Summer was in the air though as West Coast Cooler Rosé was served on the night and guests availed of mini makeovers from makeup artists from the LA Makeup Academy and to much excitement, every customer won between €20 and €100 off their purchase on the night.

Chairman of Aurora Fashions Ireland, Ian Galvin, was be on hand to welcome guests to the party including Lorraine Keane, stylist Sonja Mohlich, RTE’s Nuala Carey and Laura Woods.

Christmas at M&S

Your M&S party people: 1. Caroline Scott & Peter O’Brien; 2. Alan Hughes & Darren Kennedy; 3. Dee Crookes & Lisa Brady. (Pix: Kieran Harnett).


There were jingle bells in the air as the Marks & Spencer Christmas Show took place at the Rooftop Restaurant, Grafton Street, Dublin. It was a festive evening for the many guests who sampled delicious food including chocolate fondants, mini puddings, mince pies and sipped Oudinot champagne and fruity mulled fizz wine.

Great gift ideas for family included the new lego and meccano kids toys, the Tess Daly beauty range, the extensive Christmas decoration collection and even M&S laptops and flatscreen TVs!

Jenny Mulholland from M&S welcomed guests including TV3’s Karen Koster, Sean Munsange and Alan Hughes; RTE’s Sandra Byrne, foodie writers Marie Claire Digby and Kevin Flanagan, fashion designer Peter O’Brien, and TV presenter Brendan O’Connor.

Design Week with Bombay Sapphire

At the Bombay Sapphire party... 1. Yvonne Sheridan, Paul Finnegan & Julie Campbell; 2. Ally Garvey; 3. Ailbhe Lee & Michael Hayes. (Pix. Brian McEvoy).


Dublin’s socialites and design community turned out in force to toast the launch of the country’s most prestigious design event series, the Bombay Sapphire Design Week 2009, which opened at the CHQ Building, IFSC.

Guest of honour was Thomas Heatherwick, the internationally acclaimed designer, who jetted into Dublin to provide a humorous insight into his diverse and fascinating career.

Thomas Heatherwick founded his eponymous studio in 1994 to make unique design projects happen. The studio’s work includes La Maison Unique in New York, the world flagship store for luxury French brand Longchamp, and the multi‑award‑winning East Beach Cafe, Littlehampton, England. Current projects include a monastic building in Sussex and the British Pavilion for the Shanghai Expo in 2010.

Faces from the world of interiors included Avril Murphy-Allen, Alexander Fitzgerald, Amanda Cochrane, Eleanor Flegg, Richard Harris and Eimear Nic an Bhaird. They were joined by representatives from Ireland’s interiors, design and architecture companies who hung on to the every word of Thomas Heatherwick while sipping stylish Bombay Sapphire gin cocktails.

Darren Kennedy, Etain Boyd, Romy Carroll, author Zoe Miller and TV3’s Elaine Crowley were also there.

The Dubliner Top 100

Enjoying The Dubliner party: 1. Astrid Brennan & Michael O’Doherty; 2. Kevin Thornton; 3. Pippa O’Connor & Brian Ormonde. (Pix. Emily Quinn).


The Dubliner magazine launched its latest edition of the hugely popular Top 100 Restaurants in the luxury surroundings of the Westin Hotel ballroom recently. Always a well attended event the guests are a mix of media, social, foodie and everything else ... and all there to find out which favourite eateries make the list.

There are many new entries in the guide this year, and regrettably a number of exits too. The year has seen a number of restaurants close due to the recession (sadly Lock’s is the latest casualty) and for this reason the publishers decided to focus the Top 100 on good food and value.

The award for the Best restaurant went to new kid on the block Green 19. The laid back yet trendy place on Camden Street has been a huge hit since it opened and is a most deserving winner as voted by the readers of The Dubliner.

Publisher Michael O’Doherty, who was hosting his fist such event since taking over the magazine, welcomed guests such as critic Tom Doorley, economist Claire McAndrew, Nick Munier of Pichet, Nadine Wai – O’Flynn (who was celebrating her birthday), TV chef Andrew Rudd, Gail Kaneswaren and Peaches Kemp.

Divine

At Divine: 1. Barbara McGauran & Vivienne Doyle; 2. Rachel Kavanagh & Amanda Brunker; 3. Lisa Cannon & Mary Greene. (Pix: Brian McEvoy).

Over 300 ladies gathered at Carton House Maynooth last week as Divine Boutique (Maynooth & Malahide) delivered an amazing cat-walk show to debut the A/W collection, styled by Mary Greene.

The glamorous guests on the evening included Amanda Brunker, Rosanna Davison, Rachel Kavanagh and Lisa Cannon, with TV3’s Xpose were there to capture the glamour and atmosphere of the evening.

Karen Koster was the hero of the night as she thankfully stepped in to fill Lorraine Keane’s role as MC for the event (and wore a stunning neck-piece by Irish designer, Deborah Veale which was auctioned on the evening).

The generosity of the local guests was phenomenal with the event raising almost €10,000 for resources at Kilcloon National School.

Make-A-Wish Ball

At the Ball: 1. Jonathan Sexton & Miriam O’Callaghan; 2. Sue Deighan & John Doran; 3. Norman Pratt & Avril Collins. (Pix: Richie Stokes).


The Make-A-Wish Masquerade Crystal Ball took place at The Burlington Hotel and the theme of this year’s event was a masquerade ball with all guests being presented with masks to add an “air of mystery” to the evening - and to hide behind when doing the walk of shame the next day.

Always a glamorous event there were many well known faces in attendance, including Ken Doherty, Bernard Dunne, Caroline Harrington, Gareth O’ Callaghan and Johnny Sexton. Miriam O’Callaghan was MC for the evening.

The event kicked off with a Grey Goose cocktail reception, followed by a 5-course meal. Following dinner there was a charity raffle raising much needed funds for the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Some of the fabulous prizes on the night included Weekends Away, Jewellery vouchers and Health treatments.

Live entertainment was by the inimitable Barry Murphy of Après Match fame, well known Irish band, Perfect Day followed by DJ Tommy Greene who will play into the small hours.

Cleary's Designer Evening

At Cleary’s were: 1. Brid Casey & Sarah Daly; 2. Sarah Kavanagh & Nadia Forde; 3. Maria Loughran & Aoiffe Madden. (Pix: Brian McEvoy).


IMAGE Magazine editor Melanie Morris talked style at the Cleary’s Designers & Drinks event recently while the assembled guests (mostly girls) perused the latest must have fashion.

The designers behind the brands also gave the low-down on their collections for the season ahead and guests had the opportunity to ask questions and meet with senior designer for Oasis, Elaine Frost; Warehouse designer, Cecily Bear; and country manager for Karen Millen Ireland, Nicki Smith.

There was also a sneak preview of the spring/summer 2010 collections from Oasis, Warehouse and Karen Millen. DJ Enda Waldron provided the tunes, Brambles did the food and it all went down with lots of champagne with the additional surprise of goodie bags for all.

Hypoxi

At Hypoxi were: 1. Marie Junior & Greg French; 2. Michelle McGrath; 3. Jennifer Buckley, Anastasia Campion & Melina Srvortsova. (Pix: Brian McEvoy).

Dublin's newest HYPOXI Clinic opened in The Seapoint Building, Clontarf, Dublin 3 recently. Actress Rachel Kavanagh and Michelle McGrath, model, actress (The Tudors) and member of the band Industry, were on hand to talk about and show the benefits of using HYPOXI-Therapy to lose weight, shape the body, tone-up and reduce cellulite.

These girls practice what they preach though and both Rachel and Michelle have been using the HYPOXI system for three and four weeks respectively and have had impressive results.

Celebrities and models worldwide have hailed the fat and cellulite burning treatment as their main therapy for burning fat - Cheryl Cole, Robbie Williams, Simon Cowell, Louise Redknapp, Michelle Heaton, Tamzin Outhwaite, Caprice and Jordan have been using this revolutionary therapy for years appara.

Halloween at Krystle

Krystle nightclub hosted a big Halloween party at the weekend which saw a variety of outrageous costumes on show, some far to risqué to display on these pages! Here are some of the tame ones... 1. Fiona Creely & Eve Dunne; 2. Martin Aarestad & Wesley Quirke; 3. Naomi Fitzsimons & Ken Lalor. (Pix: Richie Stokes).

Go wan, go wan...

Simply Being: 1. Gok Wan & Brianna Connaughton; 2. Brenda O’Donoghue & Bairbre Power; 3. Liz Mangan & Kristi Kuudissm. (Pix Brian McEvoy).


Stylist to the stars Gok Wan is usually all about getting women to strip off their clothes but there was no sign of that at the weekend as he crowned Ireland’s most curvaceous woman Brianna Connaughton from Waterford at the final of Simply Be Curvy in City West Hotel.

Simply Be launched their search to find Ireland’s most curvaceous woman ‘Simply Be Curvy’ in early June, looking for women size 14 and over who love and celebrate their curves to enter. Following three heats nationwide (Dublin, Limerick and Silgo) based on over 6,500 entries, 16 finalists were chosen.

A panel of celebrity judges including Alan Hughes, Brenda O’Donoghue and Bairbre Power (chaired by Gok himself) chose the lucky winner from the finalists.

Brianna aged 24 from Waterford is the lucky winner and becomes an instant cover girl and will grace the cover of Spring 2010 Simply Be catalogue. Brianna, a size 14 also won €1,000 worth of Simply Be clothing and accessories, a holiday to the value of €1000 plus spending money and a modelling contract with one of Ireland’s top modelling agents Celia Holman Lee.