Brian caught for an extra 50th

It was a combined operation by Maree Fallon and the restaurant's longtime manager Mary O'Neill, and they caught Maree's husband Brian right well, writes Brian Byrne.

He was brought through to the function room by the back door behind the bar tonight, ostensibly to see how a wedding party was going on. Except the party was for him. It's clear from the pictures that he hadn't suspected a thing.

Brian was 50 in February, and celebrated it then with his dad and mum, Frank and Clare, in family style. An even more special event as Clare was also marking another significant milestone of her own. Last night was an extra event, so that his and Maree's many friends could celebrate too.

The first people he met when Brian came through the door were his mum and dad, who had flown in from their 'retirement' bar in Fuengirola. Then it was a long round of family, friends, and more friends.

It was a good night. It was clearly going to be an even better one as we left. It might well still be going on as you read this.

More pictures later.