THE queues stretched down Lombard Street East. There was beer to drink, and Baileys, and wine. The only hiccup, however, was that no one had thought to bring a corkscrew.
The opening of Jerome O Drisceoil's new Green on Red Gallery - a massive new white walled cube - was a buzzy event densely peopled by architects and young artists admiring "the space" not only for its light etc etc but for its potential for great parties ...
And that's very definitely what this opening turned into a bash hosted by the ebullient O Drisceoil, who opened his first gallery in his own flat about six years ago before moving the Green on Red to Fitzwilliam Square. Now he's keeping both venues open, and the young artist Fergus Feehily got first night treatment in both places.
The loft like space - once upon a time an undertakers - has been divided in two to house the creative talents of the four O Drisceoil brothers Micheal is an architect and Tadgh and Simon are furniture designers whose work is carried out on the other side of the gallery's wall. Jerome is confident that the street will come into its own as plans for the south inner docks area develop. Meanwhile he is pleased that their location is still "on the edge".
Architects oohing at the space included Felim Dunne, Paul O'Halloran, Sean O Laoire, Niall McCullough and Eddie and Mary Conroy; the artists' mentors were represented by Sean and Rosemarie Mulcahy, Patrick Scott and Ulli de Breny, among, others. And the artists themselves included Stephen Brandt, Fergus Martin, John Grahan and James Hanley.
Sculptor Corban Walker has been commissioned to produce work for the Green on Red; his recent show at Riding House Editions in London was a great success. Finola Jones, the installation artist, has just acquired a warehouse in Watling Street - a former sausage factory, she thinks to use as a studio with her husband, painter David Godbold. Another alternative use of industrial space.