They have stars in their eyes. The troupe from TG4 are still in party mode following their success at the recent IFTA award ceremony in Belfast earlier in the week. This time they are remembering John Lennon, celebrating his music and commemorating his death 20 years ago this month. They've gathered in the Sugar Club to party and view a specially commissioned music programme, Reabhloid.
Maire Ni Chonlain, of TG4 and producer of the IFTA award-winning best documentary in Irish, chats to Natasha Fennell, the national fund-raiser for Fianna Fail. The winner of the best television personality category, Hiudai, is here also, still flushed with success.
Siun Ni Raghallaigh, station managing director, and independent film producer, Jimmy Duggan, talk about a new series, which is currently in the making. "It's a post-post-revisionist look at the 1960s from an Irish perspective," Duggan says. According to Ruth Glacken, a final year university student, her favourite TG4 programme is Cleamhnas because the blind-date contestants are sent to exotic locations such as Athlone and Bray. Who ever said you had to go to the Maldives or the Caribbean for romance? Speaking of exotic places, the west of Ireland vibe is as strong as ever at the TG4 party, with Mary Coughlan and Steve Wall sitting beside each other remembering their starring roles in a Christmas panto, Treasure Island, many moons ago. This year, it's the turn of Alan Smyth in the role of Aladdin and Michael Grennell as the Widow Twanky to star at the Gaiety Theatre. The genie with attitude is Andrea Edmonds and the unscrupulous Peking entrepreneur is played by Mark O'Regan. The cast is already playing to packed houses.