He is a changed man. Professor Tadhg Foley, of NUI Galway, has shaved off his beard after 25 years. "I feel deserted," he says about the naked chin. He's in Dublin for the night, taking in the opening in the Hugh Lane Municipal Gallery of an exhibition of paintings of Aloysius O'Kelly, an oft-forgotten artist born in Dublin in 1853.
This is the first retrospective of his work since his death in the early 1940s. The work has been brought together by curator Niamh O'Sullivan, who is late for her own opening. "I wanted to make an entrance," she says unapologetically as she waltzes in in a flowing black ensemble. Lending her support are sisters Fiona, Eavan, Derval and Deirdre and brother Kevin.
Niamh's husband, Michael Foley, is there too - he has lived for the past eight years "in real time with the ghost of Aloysius O'Kelly," she says.
Artist Marie Carroll is here, outfit topped off with a black baseball hat with sequins. She has come along with her husband, painter Des Murrie. Another stir is being caused by painter Patrick Scott, with his crushed-velvet, cardboard-colour trousers.
Professor Farrell Corcoran, beardless too, arrives to view the collection with his brother, Professor Frank Corcoran, bearded, who is based in Hamburg. Russian ambassador Evgueni Mikhailov is here too.
Spotted also are Pat Foley, mother-in-law of curator Niamh, along with other son Donal and daughters Siobhan FitzGerald and Deirdre Morrissey.