There has not been a National Newspapers of Ireland advertising awards ceremony since 1994, but it returned with a bang at The Point Theatre in Dublin last night.
To the accompaniment of fireworks, the McCann Erickson agency received the Grand Prix award for its Cablelink Strip Ads campaign. This comprised witty strips about movies coming up on TV channels broadcast via Cablelink.
Brian Sparks, managing director of the agency, said: "I'd like to thank the NNI for holding a great awards ceremony where not just the agencies, but also the clients have a chance to get rowdy."
It was a good night too for Young Advertising and Ogilvy and Mather, which each won two category awards.
More than 700 people from the advertising industry and the national newspapers attended the event, which had a prize fund worth more than £250,000. Most agencies were represented on the night.
Eddie O'Mahony, the chief executive of Peter Owens, was having a good look at the short-listed entries displayed. "The level of creativity is huge in Ireland and that is always great to see."
As guests mingled, the same subject kept cropping up around the room: who will get the account for the Telecom flotation? "We pitched for it last week," said Frances Marsh, media director of McCann Erickson. "The news is imminent." Several people tipped McConnells for the job. The agency is on a bit of a roll, having this month managed to hold on to the plum National Lottery account.
There was also much talk about the news yesterday that Sherry FitzGerald was making one of the boldest moves for years in the estate agency business. It expects to have 40 estate agents operating on franchise throughout the Republic within three years, and there is the likelihood of a stock market flotation in 12 to 24 months.
One of those most qualified to comment on the matter was Alan Cooke, the chief executive of the Irish Auctioneers and Valuers Institute. He would not go beyond saying "if someone's going to do it, I'm pleased that it's an Irish operation".
Meanwhile, Arthur Davis of another large estate agency, Hamilton Osborne King, said: "The industry isn't greatly surprised to be quite honest."
On the subject of the other big topic of conversation these days - the property boom - Mr Cooke and Mr Davis were more forthcoming. "It's not going to go backwards, anyway," said Mr Davis.
By the time the guests piled in to dinner, more than one guest was trying to work out the collective noun for a hall full of advertising executives.
If it was slightly bewildering to the more seasoned advertising crew, it must have been all the more so for a newcomer to the Dublin scene. Mike Wellsford arrived 10 days ago from Johannesburg to take up the position of chairman of Ogilvy and Mather.
Although the differences between his home and here are obvious, he said the advertising worlds seemed very similar. "It's very competitive here - all the international agencies are represented - but you have some very strong local agencies; in that way, it's very similar to Johannesburg."
Mr Wellsford has been with Ogilvy and Mather for 20 years and will continue to run its African operation from Ireland while also looking after the company here. "The Celtic Tiger is the talk of the business community. Just to be here is a thrill and a privilege".
Sean O'Meara, chief executive of Young Advertising, was happily quoting one record his agency holds. It has had the Castrol account for 56 years, unbroken. "Ask anyone in the room and see if they can beat that."
Louis O'Neill, chairman of the NNI and chief executive and group managing director of The Irish Times, was one of the first people to arrive at The Point to welcome the guests.
Shortly afterwards the guest speaker at the ceremony, Michael Heseltine, arrived, having just flown in from London for the night. The guest of honour was the Tanaiste, Ms Harney.