High spirits at Emma's 21st
LOTS OF STYLE AT BIRTHDAY CELEBRATIONS IN THE THATCH PUB
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Wednesday February 03 2010
THIS week in Poland a priest installed an electronic reader in his church to monitor the attendance of local schoolchildren at mass. Meanwhile in Tennessee, the son of a well-known pastor took out a protection order against his father, claiming dad had threatened him with a gun over his non-churchgoing ways. The attack apparently took place in a church. Ah, yes, the full moon silly season was upon us once again.
In Drogheda, however, we don't do ecclesiastical nuttiness. When the moon is full our madness usually manifests itself in more socially acceptable ways – we hit the town in high spirits.
First port of call on Saturday evening was that esteemed Drogheda outpost The Thatch pub on the Donore Road, where Emma Walsh was celebrating a very special birthday. All glasses were raised to toast the lovely Ms Walsh turning 21.
Looking the height of refined young elegance in stylish black, Emma was joined by family and friends in the upstairs function room as all and sundry prepared to party the night away. In fact, all the ladies of the family were clad in black for the occasion.
Sister, Ellie pointed Night Owl in the direction of the birthday girl and the Owl wished her all the best before chatting with her other sister Valerie - only to realise a little later that this was actually Emma's mum!
Emma is the eldest of Valerie and Paddy's three children (as well as Emma and Ellie there's also young Patrick) and a proud mum told Night Owl that the birthday girl is currently in the middle of her third year in Maynooth studying English and Irish. Incredibly, this young woman is also single at the moment. Beautiful, intelligent and single? Gentlemen, what are you doing?
In any case, I don't think Emma is too bothered - she is planning to take a year out after this to travel the world.
Aine McKeown, Barry Morgan and Andy McDonagh were among the fast assembling guests at Emma's 21st on Saturday night. So too were Sophie Bailey, Jason Tate and Mark Duffy. Emma was also delighted to be joined by her grandparents Mary Grogan and Paddy and Joey Walsh from Duleek.
As he made his way to the door, Night Owl paused for a few moments to say hello to Karl Clinton, who had stepped in to help out his mate Robbie Tiernan on DJ duty. Robbie, of course, was gracing the stage of the TLT only round the corner in the Drogheda Pantomime's production of Cinderella and doing a sterling job too, by all accounts.
Leaving Karl to get on with the business of warming up the growing crowd, Night Owl took his leave, ambling out into the bright night in high spirits.
