A SORT or SOCIAL Column

  • 1 September 1978
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PRESIDENT HILLERY has been on the dry for years ... but when it comes to entertaining in Aras An Uachtarain, he goes straight for taste. That's why An tUachtarain has stocked a crate of Genuine Russian Vodka in the Aras.

The real thing was sampled at a recepption in the home of Lev Krasilnikov, Commmercial Counsellor of the USSR Embassy.

Two Irishmen, Val Heavy and Eddie Fitzgerald of Bond International, are im-

Dublin Disco fever is spreading along the vivacious-to coin a few appalling cliches. which is part autobiographical and part literary connoisseurs say it's better than

And there's a quid pro quo: the Dublin company are marketing Irish whiskey in Russia. A drop of the hard stuff would hardly go astray in Siberia.

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Dublin Disco fever is spreading alon the Grand Canal from Leeson Street to that hallowed 1916 venue, Mount Street Bridge. For in nearby Clanwilliam Court, yet another disco has opened upprisingly not named after one of the 1916 heroes (how about Patrick Pearse's Night Joint?) but "Bianca."

It's the creation of a Spaniard, Francesco Fernandez, and an Irish lad, Edward Gallagher (formerly general manager for Trust House Forte).

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Secluded, intimate, yet spacious and vivvacious-sto coin a few appalling cliches. The standard diet of Dublin nighttflyers-beef and wine-are available in unnlimited quantities.

The strip will extend shortly to Ringsend, by the way things are going, where there are loads of blondes!

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Paddy O'Hanlon of the SDLP is now involved In manufacturing plastic hurleys-one would think the North could do without any more such implements, but there you are, a man of peace is making them.

Actually, it's not Paddy that's making i them, it's an associate, Kevin Reynolds, i who has set up a factory in Newry to make the sticks, which O'Hanlon claims "last longer and score more often."

O'Hanlon, who professes to know about these things, is a director of the company, Nuri. But O'Hanlon hasn't only been making plastic hurleys since becoming politically redundant. He has just commpleted a novel, "The Vinegar Man," which is part autobiographical and partly fictionalised -like Gerry Fitt's memoirs.

John Hume, Noel Pearson, and other litera try connoisseurs say it's better than Leon Uris's "Trinity" and Pearson is off to America shortly to sell the publishing rights.

Rody Bent, the Managing Director of Green Shield Stamps has taken a shrewd step in his new Gift Catalogue scheme. When you haven't enough stamps to hand over for an item, you can make up the short-fall with cash.

"We are making it as easy as possible to operate. Any person with even one complete saver book can 'top up' with cash for any gift of his choice," Rody said. Each saver book is worth 68p.

And I thought I'd let you know that 34 percent of the country's adult population (over 16) save Green Shield Stamps-who said they were on the way out?

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Rallydriver Earnest McMillen has left the driving seat of his insurance company to John O'Driscoll (O'Driscoli has recently benn appointed Chairman of Sumner & McMillen (1) Ltd., who have moved their HQ from Belfast to Dublin's Clare Street.)

Earnest is going back on the road.

McMillen, whose father set up the Company in 1922, never misses a rally from Donegal to Monte Carlo. Recently he took to the microphone to compere at the Mill Street Showjumping Festival; and he is sponsoring a Cup for the Ballinasloe Show Week.

Chairmanships are nothing new to the O'Driscoll family. John'S father, "Mun," was the guiding light behind the setting up of Allied Irish Banks, and is still a member of the Board.

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Jim Hand, impresario (aren't they all?), has recently signed the Fury Brothers arid Davy Arthur-one Fury Brother in the hand is worth two Dubliners in the Bush.

Also in hand at Jim's new offices at 5 Lombard Street are Paddy Reilly, The Dublin City Ramblers, Dermot O'Brien, and Stepaside.

Not a bad line-up for a redneck!

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Evita will not be coming to Dublin in the immediate future because the original producer of the show refuses to issue a licence for it until it is first staged in New York. The American prooduction is expected within the next six months and shortly thereafter Noel Pearson will stage the show in Dublin.

Meanwhile the indefatigable Pearson is engaged in working on a new script for the long postponed Brendan Behan film. He has already invested over £10,000 in it and has acquired a commitment from Ardmore Studios to provide facilities at a cost of £50,000. There is a commitment from an American studio to put up a further £200,000 if they are satsified with the SCreen play re-writes. Pearson says, that he hopes the film will be in producction by the middle of next year and cornnpie ted from six to nine months afterwards.

He has no plans for staging further shows this year after "Jacques BreI is Alive and Well and Living in Paris" comes off at the Shelbourne Hotel in mid-September. This is in spite of the profitability of four of his five producctions and all were undertaken without any form of sponsorship. Pearson asserts, that contrary to suggestions in the June edition of Magill, he has consistently refused offers of sponsorship as he dislikes I' interference with his shows.

It appears that he will be absent from I the Dublin theatre scene for the next six, months to a year during which time he I will concentrate on his film committments, plus his artist management and recording companies.