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Curtain call for singing diplomat

THE SOCIAL NETWORK: It was a case of “So long, farewell, auf Wiedersehen, goodnight” at the Austrian ambassador’s residence …

Sat Oct 20 2012 - 01:00

THE SOCIAL NETWORK:It was a case of "So long, farewell, auf Wiedersehen, goodnight" at the Austrian ambassador's residence on Ailesbury Road on Thursday evening. Dr Walter Hagg and his wife, Aglaë Hagg-Thun, held a party to celebrate Austria's national day and to bid farewell to their friends. The couple depart at the end of the month. Ambassador Hagg is the Captain von Trapp of the diplomatic corps, known for his tenor voice.

The residence was packed to capacity as guests mingled in the main drawing room and in another reception room downstairs. There was a bit of a queue at the front door as guests waited to be greeted individually by the ambassador.

Joseph Brennan, the former deputy chief of protocol at the Department of Foreign Affairs, left early, but he had been to an earlier reception. Fr Dermod McCarthy was mildly concerned about handing over his coat to one of the ambassador’s staff at the door. He wondered if it could be put behind the door on a chair instead of being mixed up with the multitude of other coats on a stand.

Mr Justice Paul Carney of the Central Criminal Court was deep in conversation with Mr Justice Peter Kelly of the Commercial Court. Former minister Mary Hanafin caught up with former attorney general Paul Gallagher.

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Cllr Mary Freehill is looking forward to Eamonn Monahan – formerly of the Capitol Showband – playing in the United Arts Club on November 15th. Anne Corrigan, who is on the committee of the Arts Club, told me that she wanted to make sure to catch up with Lady Annie Arnott before she left. “You know that her son [Andrew] is married to my daughter [Leonie].”

Phyllis Seigne chatted to her friend Ann Corcoran. The chairman of the Irish Architectural Archive, Michael Webb, told me that he was brought to the opera in Vienna by a former Austrian ambassador, and was surprised to see Pamela Anderson in the audience.

Who we spotted

Brig Gen Michael Finn of the 2nd Eastern Brigade; Marcus Beresford, the 7th Baron Decies, and his wife, Edel Decies; Ian Fox and Jim Harkin