J.P. McManus's Personal Versailles

[C. Flower]

Former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern, TD Michael Lowry, former Finance Minister Ray MacSharry, former Education Minister Mary Hanafin, Environment Minister Phil Hogan and Finance Minister Michael Noonan mingled alongside bust builder Bernard McNamara and Nama top-tenner Sean Mulryan.

Also in attendance were members of the judiciary along with billionaire financier Dermot Desmond, former finance minister Charlie McCreevy, Ryanair boss Michael O'Leary, businessman Bill Cullen and partner Jackie Lavin, RTE presenters Pat Kenny and Gay Byrne, charity queen Norma Smurfit; rugby stars Keith Wood, Paul O'Connell, Peter Stringer; horse trainer Aidan O'Brien, and GAA legends Eoin 'The Bomber' Liston, Ogie Moran and Mick O'Dwyer.

All the strands of Irish society from politics, law, sport, business and the media were in conclave.

More than 1,500 guests feasted on fresh prawn cocktail, aged fillet of Irish beef with fondant potatoes, seasonable vegetables and red onion marmalade before moving on to the iced passion fruit and lemon parfait with a berry and vanilla compote.

Guests washed the banquet down with Dom Perignon 2002, Baron de L Ladoucette Pouilly Fume 2008 and Chateau Lynch Bages Pauillac 2000.

The marquee itself was described by one of the guests in attendance as "the largest ever erected for a private party in Ireland".

The enormous luxury tent, which was situated in front of the Gandon-inspired mansion, was split into two levels with some guests remarking that it was the first time they'd ever seen a sweeping staircase inside a marquee.

J.P. McManus seems to be running his own personal Versailles, awash with champagne, politicians, "entrepreneurs" and "celebs."

http://www.independent.ie/national-n...t-3190020.html

In the old days, it was FF and the Galway tent.

Nick Leeson - "the override switch was hit in the Galway tent"

http://businessetc.thejournal.ie/rea...04681-Apr2012/

This year, Fine Gael took the tent to Punchestown.

In the old days the big prizes were in property development, and now, they are in the fire sale of billions worth of Irish public assets.

Martin Ferris asked recently "who funded the FG election campaign" and asked for details of Fine Gael's corporate donations.

http://politico.ie/irish-politics/73...-campaign.html

The divide between haves and have nots is widening by the day. Fine Gael is in prime position to oversee the sell-off of the rights to profiteer from electricity, gas, water, waste and transport, and to consolidate its position with due gratitude from successful bidders.

Where is this all going to end? With the guillotine, or the total emiseration of the Irish people?

We are the champions, no time for losers, cause we are the champions ... of the world."

The rousing rock anthem roared from a specially erected marquee last weekend where developers -- in various degrees of financial health -- government ministers and RTE's current affairs and broadcast stars mingled as one. They put differences aside, and left talk of the recession at the main gates, which was a pastiche of the Arc de Triomphe, as bottles of Dom Perignon 2002 bubbled at the exclusive party hosted by JP McManus at his 400-acre Martinstown stud estate in Co Limerick.

As one guest remarked, "It flowed like it was going out of fashion."

[Slim Buddha]

Unfortunately, J.P. doesn't announce these shindigs, complete with guest list, in advance.