They come wearing Armani jackets and quoting from Scripture. There are nuns, priests, ex-models - but no bishops. They're all at a conference in Rosslare to celebrate the publication of the big, glossy millennium book, The History of Christianity, explains co-author Michael Collins.
"Where sin abounded, grace did more abound," a Franciscan sister, Anna Mary Hannon, says, looking at us with great feeling. We rub our hands in anticipation - of the sin. It's a weird but wonderful book bash.
"Michael is an ecclesiastical mover and shaker," says Father John Feighery, who is not wearing his priest's collar. "I just hate uniforms of any kind," he says. Only Monsignor Dick Maher is in priestly garb - he describes himself as "a mad, rabid fanatical Dub". Former model and travel writer Marguerite MacCurtin enters wearing a long, dramatic coat - it's cardinal red, of course. Mary Quigley, another well-known name in the fashion trade, is here too.
Collins, who was ordained as a Catholic priest in 1985, has a dashing dress sense - open-neck shirt and sharp navy jacket. Quickly he begins unbuttoning his coat and points to the inside label, Georgio Armani. "My brother, David Collins, is a very good friend of Madonna's," he says smiling. "He gives me all his clothes." Oh, some have it soft, all right.