Two senior officials from the Department of the Arts returned from the US with the Minister, Sile de Valera last week, carrying items of living art. Media adviser, Michael Ronayne and private secretary Sheila Clifford both sported tattoos which they acquired while walking one evening on Venice Beach, Santa Monica. Ronayne was showing off his wrist bracelet around Leinster House this week; Clifford has a butterfly on her arm. The pair maintain they are permanent, but Quidnunc thinks they are painted on and have a limited life. Their companion on the beach, assistant secretary, Michael Grant declined the artist's offer.
The trip to the West Coast was aimed at attracting film companies to shoot in Ireland and members of the delegation say they were greatly encouraged. Nothing definite mind you, but this is longterm stuff. And it was all very friendly. When de Valera went to the William Morris agency, the boss was one Hylda Queally, and the two had a long conversation about her Queally relatives in Co Clare. At Warner Bros, they told the Minister how much they admired the quality and photography of movies made in Ireland. Had she seen Michael Collins? Yes, indeed, de Valera replied, "and the person portrayed as the baddie was my grandfather". "Oops," they said. "But it wasn't a documentary," she said. Laughter all round.