Caroline steals the socialites’ headlines

IRELAND’S queen of style Caroline Morahan yesterday confirmed a coveted place in the pantheon of the country’s most-invited socialites as the RTÉ presenter was crowned the Jameson Number One party person of 2004 with Social & Personal magazine.

The bubbly brunette beat off a plethora of household names including Bono, Louis Walsh and model Glenda Gilson to take top billing and was last night feted at a special S&P ceremony in Dublin’s trendy Dakota bar.

“I’m absolutely gobsmacked, it’s fantastic,” said the Off the Rails presenter, as she accepted a vintage bottle of Jameson featuring her new title.

Taking a new format in a new-look S&P magazine, the Top 100 Party People of the year honoured Ireland’s most popular and most-seen citizens on the social circuit, taking into account their attendance at social soirees and various charitable events throughout Ireland during the year.

This year, for the first time, organisers decided to do away with the traditional judging panel by going straight to the source.

Among the top night spots to participate in this year’s list were Dublin clubs Lillie’s Bordello and Renards, Time nightclub in Naas, Co Kildare, Rearden’s in Cork, Fabric nightclub in Tralee and Trinity Rooms in Limerick.

The official top five, some of who attended last night’s bash, include Caroline Morahan, Louis Walsh, Glenda Gilson, Bono and Insight Opticians boss Niall McCrudden.

A string of the country’s most popular denizens, turned out for last night’s Christmas-themed party.

Among them was reveller Eamon Dunphy, who also features on the cover of S&P’s December issue alongside Cecilia Ahern, Pauline McLynn, Diarmuid Gavin and recently-announced entertainer of the year Claire Byrne from TV3. S&P hit the shops yesterday.