Celtic tiger still roaring at the Curragh

IT WAS as if any mention of economic doom and gloom was banned at the Curragh yesterday.

And for once, it wasn’t the ladies who were getting all the attention. A €20,000 shopping spree prize, sponsored by Brown Thomas, lured some of the country’s most on-trend men to Co Kildare yesterday. The eventual winner of the Best Dressed Man award was the immaculate Zac Jordan (the 22-year-old son of Formula One’s Eddie Jordan). Zac, who is studying at UCD, wore a navy pinstripe suit, pink shirt and cravat.

Alison Doody, the former Bond Girl and lead actress in Indiana Jones, was on the judging panel as was Brown Thomas menswear buying director, Paul O’Connor and jewellery designer Robert Tateossian.

For the ladies, it was all about the accessories.

A pair of the latest Manolo Blahnik’s was up for grabs in the Best Accessory awards — along with the opportunity to meet the renowned shoe designer in person when he opens his new boutique at Brown Thomas in two weeks.

The eventual winner was the enterprising Emer Lynch who, in the true spirit of our times, recycled an old wedding dress into a hat and umbrella.

Emer hails from Batterstown, Co Meath.

Minister for Arts, Sports and Tourism, Martin Cullen mingled in the crowd with his former’s boss’s daughter, Cecelia Ahern and her partner, David Keoghan (who incidentally was a runner up in the best dressed man stakes).

Also enjoying the day out were Ronan and Yvonne Keating, former jockey Lester Piggott, trainer Jim Bolger and his wife Jackie, Eimear Mulhearn and Henry Beeby, and Jody Wainright of Boodles diamond emporium.

TV presenter Lorraine Keane and her husband Peter Devlin were seen enjoying the sunshine, while Parknasilla hotel manager, Klaus Voss was spotted chatting with some former guests.