Many young men of 20 (and over) are very excited. It is so exciting to be at the Gaiety Theatre for an evening with Risteard Cooper, Barry Murphy and Gary Cooke, who take to the stage later to tell us, like the Danish couple who presented the Eurovision, that "we are very excited". "Hello Dublin," say the three musketeers.
Outside in the balmy air, admiring the theatre's new facade is Fred O'Donovan, former managing director of the Gaiety, as well as head of RTE and the NCH, with his wife, Sally O'Donovan and their daughter, Sally Ann.
It's threatening rain, but all are looking forward to a night at the comic opera of Apres Match. The three O'Donovans chat to George McFall, who retired a couple of years ago as Gaiety stage manager after 48 years in the business. John Costigan, with a Maltese tan, oversees proceedings. His film-star nephew, Peter McDonald, runs up the stairs. We refrain from running in hot pursuit.
Richard Cooper, singer, long-time member of the Goethe Choir and father of Risteard, arrives with family members including his daughter, Eilin Marsh, daughter-in-law Suzanne McMahon Pearse and their friend, Saileen Drumm, from Newport, Co Mayo. Patricia McMahon, mother of Suzanne, is here too with her grandson, art student Stephen Roberts.
Also here is Dr Ruaidhri Kirwan, from Ballyclough, Co Limerick, who is with his friends, Richard Oakley, of Ardnacrusha, Co Clare and musician Sam Healy of the band Zeppo, which plays the Temple Bar Music Centre on Wednesday, June 6th. Paul Daniel (not the magician), and his wife, Enda Daniel, are also thrilled to be here. We are all very excited. Ireland - six points!
Backstage before the show: Susana Baca, the Peruvian singer, with Barney Whelan, percussion student and ESB public relations manager. Baca sings and sways and sashays in her bare feet on the stage of Vicar Street to a packed house of admirers, including seannos singer Seosaimhin Ni Bheaglaoich, who dubs her "a true singer". Also impressed with her beautiful cool vocals, with backing by her band's Afro-Peruvian beat, are Declan and Katherine Sweeney and Derry O'Riordan, Frances Owens and Dorothy Benson. The ESB Jazz series of concerts continues next month with the Jacky Terrasson Trio. (See review in main paper.)