Noises off at Ford's silent film event

THE SOCIAL NETWORK:he painter and former broadcaster Thelma Mansfield was accompanied by her husband, the photographer John Morris, at the Irish premiere of John Ford's 1924 silent movie The Iron Horse, in the National Concert Hall on Thursday evening. They caught up with John's brother, the producer Redmond Morris, the 4th Baron Killanin.

The film marked the opening of the first John Ford Ireland Film Symposium. The American composer Christopher Caliendo conducted his score for the film with the RTÉ Concert Orchestra.

Barrister Catherine Burke-Kennedy chatted to events organiser Paddy Bollard, who had a great time at jeweller John Farrington’s 50th birthday party last Sunday in Laois. Bollard is a fan of Ford’s better-known film The Quiet Man.

The designer Louise Kennedy had an early supper in Isabel’s on Baggot Street before the film with her sister Caroline. Kennedy told me that she was looking forward to today’s unveiling of her new vestment for St Mary’s Church, Haddington Road, Dublin 4. Louis Copeland has provided the mannequins, which will display the new Kennedy vestment and other historical vestments from the parish.

John McGuirk of Elegant Flowers, who recently won Florist of the Year, has sponsored the flowers for the exhibition, which is being opened by Fr Michael Collins today at 3.30pm. Fr Collins told me that everybody is welcome to attend, and pointed out that not all priests have six-pack stomachs like the Copeland mannequins.

Who we spottedJohn Ford's grandson Dan Ford; actor Bryan Murray; Minister for Education Ruairí Quinn; Prof Luke Gibbons; film director Jim Sheridan; novelist and filmmaker Neil Jordan; singer Mary Coughlan; former film censor Sheamus Smith