INTERNATIONAL Orphan Aid's Valentine's Ball at Dublin Castle "had a definite cinematic quality last night with several guests who have made an impact both on and off the screen. The tireless Patrick Bergin flew in from Los Angeles to be guest of honour before flying to Berlin where his film Island On Biro Street is in competition at the film festival.
The Sleeping With The Enemy star is currently attempting to organise a cultural exchange between Ireland and the Caribbean island of St Lucia. There should be a high take up rate on the Irish side.
Sharing his table was organiser Catriona Walsh, once of The New Seekers, who now runs the Irish Film Orchestra which provided the music for The Mask, In The Name Of The Father and Some Mother's Son, among others. Making the trip from London was Emmy and BAFTA winning director Christopher Swan. Other filmic types present included Irish Screen chief Nigel Warren Greene.
Not every social function can boast a guest who is both a boxer and a Baptist minister but Lou Sutton fitted the bill - Sutton won a Laurence Olivier Award for his starring role in hit musical of the 1980s, Starlight Express. The stage sensation of the 1990s, Riverdance, was represented by Daryll Kavanagh whose company, Image Now, provided the graphics for the show.
Among the items in the fund raising auction was a leather bound copy of, the original Riverdance score, signed by Bill Whelan. Michael Flatley was of course not to be outdone and had donated a signed dancing shoe, while footwear of a more sturdy variety was donated by the owners of Danoli, who handed over the shoes which carried the racehorse to victory in the recent Hennessy Gold Cup at Leopardstown.
Ali Hewson donated a signed Tshirt worn by husband Bono on U2's Zooropa tour. Rock music's most durable couple recently took time out at Galway's Ballynahinch Castle as the band prepare to go back on tour.
There was a strong Yeats connection to the entertainment at the ball with Patrick Bergin reading a selection of the poet's romantic verse to the assembled guests at the £100 ahead function, while music was provided by Sinead Lohan, whose debut album recently went double platinum in Ireland and who is one of the artists on the current Yeats musical tribute album Now And In Time To Come. Dubliners fiddle player John Sheehan rounded off proceedings with a rendition of his own composition The Marino Waltz.