AFTER John Banville's you could-have-heard-a-pin-drop reading from his new book, The Untouchable, in Trinity's Ernest Walton lecture theatre, most of the guests moved to the New Common Room.
Poet Michael Longley pointed out the third-floor Botany Bay rooms he held as an undergraduate "with a disgracefully poor degree" and the ground floor "city pad" he held later as poet-in-residence. Fellow poet Derek Mahon's old rooms were out of sight at No. 1 Front Square, and the other poet with them, Sabra Loomis, was born and reared in the States, far away from those Trinity hey-days. Loomis, who is shortly heading off for her fifth working sojourn on Achill Island, discussed the infamous American mobsters known as the Loomis Gang with author John McGahern, the latter surprising her with a new connection between those gangsters (no relation to Ms Loom is) and Ezra Pound, whose middle name was also Loomis.
The Banvilles were out in force that night: Vincent and Roisin Banville; Vonnie Banville Evans and her husband Jim Evans; Janet Banville who is, hard at work on a weaving project with Mary O'Rourke of Glenasmole, and sons, Colm and Douglas Banville. Composer, Gerald Barry was in great form chatting about his latest work on a play called Balancing for Radio 3 and his other big excitement; the release of his opera, The Triumph of Beauty And Deceit, on Channel 4 CD. Painter Fergus Martin was similarly enthusiastic about Jerome O Drisceoil's new Green On Red gallery in Lombard Street where he will have a show next year and where a Bridget Riley exhibition opened on Thursday evening.
Brian Kennedy of the National Gallery, Fred and Val Hanna and Rita Hughes, both of respective bookshop fame; and author Mary Morrissy all came along both to listen and chat, though Banville's editor, Jon Reilly, did not make it to Dublin as he was advised he might not make it back again in time for the London launch due, to possible bomb scares. Banville did not suffer from such a zealous travel agent and seemed to be in no bother about making it to the Irish Club for Thursday night's party.