Fran and Jane

Fans of Fran & Jane: 1. Sybil Mulcahy & Lisa Cannon; 2. Lisa Fitzpatrick; 3. Amy Hayes & Sarah Dillon. (Pix. Paul Sherwood)

Last night fashion brand Fran and Jane hosted a fashion extravaganza in aid of the very worthy St. Vincents Foundation, with proceeds dedicated specifically to breast cancer. The show took place in the Douglas and Kaldi restaurant in Dundrum Town Centre and saw almost 200 fashionistas in attendance.

This London Tea Party vs. London Rocks fashion show event also celebrated the recent opening of the first Fran and Jane London store on the Kings Road in Chelsea and the theme reflected the wide mix of formal and casual wear in the Spring Summer 2010 collection.

All Wright for Howard

At the WV: 1. Howard Donald and performer; 2. Paula Nesbitt & Katy Gannon; 3. Gary Kavanagh, Pippa O’Connor & Brian Dowling. (Pix. Brian McEvoy)

Howard Donald, from Take That, was in town recently and hosted a private party at the Wright Venue. The Swords club was the place to be and there were plenty of familiar faces around on the evening.

With the spirit of a nightclub and the energy of a live music venue the WV is a haven for music & dance. Theatrical in design, all focus is on the dancefloor and stage with various viewing options around from a tiered gallery to more intimate snugs and VIP Rooms.

The newest night on the WV schedule is Thursday with the introduction of Culture Club, a laid back evening hosted in the Penthouse suite with all the classics from the 80s and 90s.

Paradise Island

At John Malone’s party on InishTurkBeg: (Top) 1. Edward Haughey & Francesca Ricci; 2. Ciara Egan & John Malone; 3. Vanessa Laurenson & Benoit Bringer; 4. Sunset drinks on the terrace. (Pix. Dylan Thomas)


The magical private island of InishTurkBeg was the location for the birthday celebrations of London based socialite John Malone last weekend. Planes, trains and automobiles brought them from far and wide for what was a truly international affair.

Friends from the UK, Italy and France joined the Irish to toast John (who hails from Atlanta, Georgia and works for CNN) on the occasion of his 30th. A weekend of activities including horse riding, shooting and fishing was supplemented by a round of cocktail parties, lunches and dinners, all expertly organised by the team from Quintessentially.

The exclusive InishTurkBeg, off the West coast of Ireland in Clew Bay, is the epitome of understated luxury mixed with the rural ideal. The award winning, architecturally designed, main house boasts every conceivable extra such as an indoor pool, home cinema, outdoor sound system and views to die for.

There are three additional guest houses on the island along with a tennis court, massive hot tub and a fleet of vehicles at guest’s disposal. Rumour has it that a certain Irish rock star wants to buy InishTurkBeg but his offers have, thus far, been politely declined.

Among the weekend party were Ed Haughey and Francesca Ricci, Liam Collins and Lauren Martin, Tony O’Riordan and his wife Hilda, Eoin Cunneen, Kiki DeVere and Vanessa Laurenson.

Also there was Torquil Fleming – Boyd, whose production company is putting the finishing touches to a new TV3 series called Celebrity Salon. Stars such as Rosanna Davison, Leigh Arnold and Virginia Macari will all be put to the test in it this summer.

www.inishturkbeg.com/

Launch of TVnow Awards

At the launch: 1. Anna Daly & Sinead Desmond; 2. Glenda Gilson; 3. Daithi O Sé & Anne Doyle. (Pix. Brian McEvoy)

Ireland’s television awards, which honour the best shows and stars on Irish TV, was launched in Krystle Nightclub, Dublin 2. A select group of the Walkers TV Now Award nominees were present including Tony Tormey, Aisling O’Neill, Gemma Doorly and Jenny Kavanagh of RTE soap Fair City.

Also among the nominees present were Sinead Desmond of Ireland AM (nominated for Favourite Irish TV Show and Favourite Female TV Presenter), Daithi O Sé (nominated for Favourite Male TV Presenter) and Anne Doyle of RTE (nominated for Favourite News/ Current Affairs Presenter).

Most of the big star names of Irish television, as well as dozens of the top soap stars from the UK, will also be glamming themselves up on May 22nd 2010, when the Walkers TV Now Awards return to Dublin’s Mansion House.

Exposed to Fashion

Fashionistas: 1. Barry Egan and Blathnaid Ni Chofaigh; 2. Dawn Fitzgerald and Siobhain Carnegie; 3. Aisling Kilduff and Synan O'Mahony. (Pix. Kieran Harnett)

The Irish Fashion Exposure - Spring Summer 2010 in the Stephen’s Green Hibernian Club was a beautiful fashion extravaganza featuring select Irish Designers’ current collections.

The concept of this exciting show was to create a relaxed environment for fashion lovers to enjoy a top-of-the-line fashion show and have the opportunity to place orders and interact with the designers on a more personal level.

A dual aim of this event was to raise funds for St. Lazarus Ireland, a charity engaged in humanitarian work with children and the invalided. For instance, they are supporting a school for destitute children in one of the poorest suburbs of Santiago, Chile, and doing valuable work to help eradicate leprosy around the globe. These projects are often the most in need and often overlooked.

The event was hosted in association with The Design Centre in Powerscourt Shopping Centre who are the leading promoters of Irish Fashion.

Glossy eve at the Movies

At the movies: 1. Kathryn Thomas; 2. Rian Greenwood and Laura Whiston; 3. Sean Musanje and Aishling O'Loughlin. (Pix. The Gloss)


THE GLOSS magazine invited special guests and readers to The Lighthouse Cinema in Smithfield for an exclusive preview screening of The Ghost, as part of the Moët & Chandon Cinema Club. Upon arrival, guests were treated to a delicious champagne reception and a feast of canapés from Neil Shirt catering.

The screening was the second in a series of cinema events by THE GLOSS and Moët & Chandon Cinema Club, which will run throughout the year to mark the glamorous role Moët has played in the history of film, both on and off screen.

Guests included Brendan Courtney from Off the Rails, RTE presenter Kathryn Thomas, actress and journalist Holly White and Ciara Hughes from Chanel. The Ghost, an Optimum Releasing film is a contemporary political thriller starring Pierce Brosnan, Ewan McGregor, Olivia Williams and Kim Cattrall and is in cinemas now.

MPW

Al fresco at MPW: 1. Darren Kennedy & Sandra Byrne; 2. Gina Bokin & Michael O’Doherty; 3. Jennifer O’Brien & Cathriona Gaffney. (Pix. Brian McEvoy)

The man who made cooking sexy has spiced up his Dublin city restaurant menu just in time for the summer. Marco Pierre White, of eponymous MPW Steakhouse and Grill on Dublin’s Dawson Street, has added a pinch of his past and an element of eighties to his steakhouse menu.

With new London inspired dishes such as ‘Lyonnaise salad’ for starters and ‘veal chops with béarnaise sauce’ for mains, Marco believes temperatures are set to soar for diners on Dawson Street.

Simultaneously, to tie in with his new menu launch, Marco will take to the TV like never before where he will wow viewers in his new series ‘Kitchen Burnout’ which will be aired on ITV. The man who tossed complaining customers aside like a salad and booted irritating staff to the bin is likely to once again win the hearts of the public.

Celebrating in style the Fitzpatrick family, who run the MPW restaurant, hosted a cocktail and canapés reception on the outdoor terrace. Among those who attended were Sean Munsanje, RTE’s Darren Kennedy and Sandra Byrne, Michael O’Doherty, Caroline Scott and well known food critics Paolo Tullio and Myles McWeeney.

VW cooking challange

At the VW cook-off: 1. Deric Hartigan & Claire Champenois; 2. Rugby stars Kevin McLaughlin, Eoin Reddan & Jamie Heaslip; 3. Mark & CJ Comerford. (Pix. Kieran Harnett)


Over 250 lucky guests packed into Ballsbridge Motors to witness a unique event which saw Leinster rugby stars take part in a celebrity cook-off hosted by top Irish chef Neven Maguire.

Guests were treated to an entertaining showdown between several of the team who also surprised guests by bringing along the Heineken Cup on the night.

Still on cloud nine after their fantastic win in last Friday’s Heineken Cup, Leinster players Jamie Heaslip, Shane Jennings, Eoin Reddan, Kevin McLaughlin, Fergus McFadden and Stephen Keogh went head to head to show off their culinary skills.

The event also showcased Volkswagen’s fantastic selection of old and new models and the host of VIP guests were treated to a great varied evening of entertainment.

Head to Head

At the Brylcreem Head event: 1. Liam Hunter & Cathy Broughan; 2. Michelle Doherty & Craig Ronaldson; 3. Fiona Roche & Romy Carroll. (Pix. Richie Stokes)

The results are in, the people of Ireland have spoken and Brylcreem has finally unveiled Ireland's best groomed man (or 'Brylcreem Head' as he’s now, unfortunately, known).

As part of a brand reinvigoration Brylcreem hair product launched its search for Ireland's most groomed man in December last and a list of over 600 was whittled down to five guys; Fred Gilbert and Dean Fitzpatrick both from Co. Dublin, Craig Ronaldson from Co. Kildare, Michael Allen from Co. Galway, and Liam Hunter from Co. Laois.

The five boys shot to fame, with their faces appearing on billboards throughout the country over the last two months and the public was encouraged to vote for their favourite.

Craig Ronaldson, aged 20, scooped the title and the much coveted prize of a once in a life-time trip to South Africa for the World Cup this summer at the ceremony in Alchemy nightclub in Dublin's Temple Bar, which was hosted by celebrity judge, presenter and model Michelle Doherty.

The Dubliner goes weekly

Toasting The Dubliner: 1. Sinead Desmond and Leigh Arnold; 2. Blathnaid NíChofaigh, Chaire Grady and Anna Nolan; 3. Anna Daly and Alan Hughes. (Pix. Colin O’Riordan)

The exciting new partnership between the Evening Herald newspaper and The Dubliner magazine was the toast of the town this week as over 200 prominent Dubliners gathered in the Guinness Storehouse to celebrate the new magazine format and increased audience reach. The popular mag will now been available free in the Herald every Thursday.

Ireland’s favourite newscaster Ann Doyle put in yet another stylish appearance on the Dublin social scene in a stunning spring inspired ensemble. Rugby pundit Brent Pope was spotted engrossed in The Dubliner magazines first edition cover story on Brian O’Driscoll while broadcaster Claire Byrne and Ireland AM host Sinead Desmond caught up on all the news from the TV3 studios.

Amongst the throng of Dublin’s well heeled attendees were Stephen Rae, Evening Herald editor; socialite Laura Toogood; actress Leigh Arnold, Xpose host Karen Koster and Anna Nolan and Blathnaid Ni Chofaigh.

Xpose Live

Xposed: 1. Debbie O'Donnell and Teresa Murray; 2. Glenda Gilson, Brian Fallon & Asheena Nadoo; 3. Lisa Cannon & Karen Koster. (Pix. Brian McEvoy)

The Xpose troupe hosted their annual fashion fest, Xpose Live, last weekend and there were several parties to celebrate. The event kicked off on Friday evening with a VIP do in association with Tia Maria which was attended by the Xpose crew and some special guests including X-Factor finalist Stacey Solomon.

FM104's The Gig

Enjoying The Gig: 1. Mark Noble & Nadia Forde; 2. Cillian O’Sullivan & Niamh Crowley; 3. John Culshaw & Adrian Kennedy. (Pix. Brian McEvoy)


The Olympia theatre was the place to be as Ocean Colour Scene, The Coronas, Aslan, The Dublin Gospel Choir, Republic of Loose, Joe Echo and The Plea took over for the exclusive 2010 FM104 Help a Dublin Child ‘The Gig’ in aid of The ISPCC.

The Gig is in its forth year and has been a complete sell out each year, making it the hottest ticket in town. The Dublin Gospel Choir will perform Aslan on the night.

Jonathan Culshaw, the UK’s number one impressionist, will also performed on the night. Famous for his work on BBC Radio 4 and BBC’s Dead Ringers , ITV's 2DTV and his contributions to BBC Radio 1, particularly on The Chris Moyles Show, Culshaw brought a new dimension to The Gig.

All acts performed for free with all proceeds going towards FM104’s Help a Dublin Child Appeal for The ISPCC.

Sony Ericsson XPERIA X10

Launch of XPERIA X10: 1. Pat Kenny & Deborah Rowan; 2. Aideen Chambers & Louise McNamara; 3. Brian Ormond & Pippa O’Connor.

Sony Ericsson revealed its new flagship XPERIA X10 mobile at a party at exclusive The Indigo Lounge at The O2 recently. The first phone in a family of phones to deliver a consistent user experience where communication truly becomes entertainment, the Xperia X10 will be available in O2 and Carphone Warehouse stores nationwide this week.

The event, hosted by Patrick Hughes, attracted a number of tech fans and Sony Ericsson devotees alike. Among the guests were TV legend Pat Kenny, Pippa O’Connor and Brian Ormond, Tristan Wheeler and Tara Doyle, Adrian Weckler and Fergal Breen.

Building on Sony Ericsson’s entertainment heritage and combining rich graphics with intelligence capabilities, the XPERIA X10 introduces a new UX platform that will evolve across the product portfolio and expand over time, continuously introducing new features and capabilities.

Introducing signature applications like Mediascape and Timescape, the XPERIA X10 lets consumers organise everything in their phone in an intuitive way, while the Android Market store contains thousands of user applications.

The smart phone will also feature O2 TV so users will be able to keep up to date with the latest sports action as it happens on Sky Sports, or catch the latest news as it breaks on RTÉ or Sky News. The Sky News & Sports package which normally costs €5.98 per month will be offered as a FREE option to O2 customers who purchase the new X10.

Beck’s Vier hits Dublin

At the Beck's party: 1. Gillian Lynch and Rachel Hendrick; 2. Elaine McGuinness and Conor Connolly; 3. Izabella Chudzica. (Pix. Kieran Harnett)

Over 1,000 guests turned up to the Church, Henry Street, Dublin 1 for the launch of Beck’s Vier. The centrepiece of the evenings was a live set from hard-working Dublin band, Republic of Loose followed by guest DJ, FM104’s Ben Murray.

Mantra Mini

At Mantra: 1. Haley Ryan & Michelle McGrath; 2. Iona Zaveraite gets the keys to her new car from Alison King; 3. Chris Kavanagh & Alison King. (Pix. Brian McEvoy)

Coronation Street stunner Alison King, who plays feisty factory boss Carla Connor, jetted into Ireland over the weekend to draw the golden ticket winner of the brand new Mantra Mini car at Mantra Nightclub Maynooth.

Alison was joined by guests who included models Hayley Ryan and Louise Kavanagh, Danielle Moyles, Michelle McGrath from band Industry and Alanah McGurk.

The fire girls from the Monster of Dirt stunt show which is coming to Citywest Event centre this weekend also dropped by for an impromptu performance.

Powers Whiskey Grand National

Racing at Fairyhouse: 1. Colette Fitzpatrick & Jessie Collins; 2. Nadia Forde & Synan O’Mahony; 3. Dáithí Ó Sé & Maureen Caterson. (Pix. Brian McEvoy)

Ireland’s racing set and fashion trend setters were out in force to cheer on The Powers Whiskey Irish Grand National on Easter Monday at Fairyhouse Racecourse.

This annual event is the highlight of the three-day Easter Festival at Fairyhouse and attracted a crowd of over 13,000 racegoers. The Powers Whiskey Irish Grand National is Ireland’s richest National Hunt handicap steeplechase with a prize fund of €250,000 and the much anticipated race was won by Bluesea Cracker, much to everyone’s surprise.

The fashion and style stakes were high with ladies from around the country braved the high winds to win the Carton House Most Stylish Lady competition in association with Powers Whiskey.

The deserving winner was Lucy Foster from Enfield, Co.Meath who is a regular race goer. The guest judges for the Most Stylish Lady on the day were Báirbre Power, Fashion Editor of the Irish Independent, TV3 Presenter Colette Fitzpatrick and Editor of Irish Tatler, Jessie Collins.

Among those enjoying the Easter racing festivities were many from the media world including Dáithí Ó Sé, Anne Doyle and her partner Dan McGrattan, Mark Noble from FM104, Sean Munsanje and Aisling O’Loughlin from Xposé and Alan Hughes from Ireland AM.

Also there were An Taoiseach Brian Cowen TD, Alexandre Ricard and Emma Donellan from Irish Distillers Pernod Ricard, designer Synan O’Mahony, Michael and Anita O’Leary, the French Ambassador H.E. Yvon Roe D’Albert, Michael Hayes and Ailbhe Lee and many others.

2night

Pictured at the launch of 2night: 1. Ciara Whelan & Jon Slattery; 2. Derrick Carberry & Brendan Courtney; 3. Laura Toogood & Rosanna Davison. (Pix. Leon Farrell / Photocall)

Ireland’s newest guide to nightlife and events, 2night.ie, was officially launched in ‘The Secret Bar’ on Fade Street.

Already operating in 35 cities in Italy, just launched in Ireland and about to launch in France and Switzerland, 2night is a leading entertainment and free time guide. Whether it’s after work, dinner, after dinner or late night, 2night is now the way to find out what’s going on and where in Dublin.

Some well known faces came along to celebrate the launch including The Holiday Show presenters Ciara Whelan and Jon Slattery, Off The Rails presenter Brendan Courtney and model friends Rosanna Davison and Laura Toogood.

Guests were treated to a night of entertainment with Dublin band The Shoos who played their chart hit 'Yeah' during their set. Yo! Sushi served up a storm which was washed down with Corona beer, cocktails and Jagermeister shots ... good times.