Bertie Ahern has long been criticised for his penchant for attending the opening of an envelope, rather than discussing matters of state in Dail Eireann. He also enjoys his couple of pints of Bass in Fagan's after a long day's politicking, but it would be stretching matters somewhat to class him in the 'reveller' category.

The most cunning, the most devious, the most happening dude? Hardly, yet there he was beating off competition from former Miss World Rosanna Davison; Michael Flatley's ex Lisa Murphy, stylist Lisa Fitzpatrick and 2FM's larger than life DJ, Gerry Ryan, to take top spot.

The social gong is actually going to the Ahern household for the second year running, as his daughter Cecilia . . .the hugely successful author . . . took the title last year.

Needless to say, Ahern was the only politician to make this year's list.

However, Social & Personal sources were quick to clarify that entry onto the list was less to do with being down in Reynard's every Friday night giving it holly and more to do with being the person everyone would like to have at their party. Given that the Taoiseach seems to rarely turn down an invitation to launch a book, a hotel, a pub, a nursing home, a shop, a restaurant, a mortgage brokerage etc etc, nobody can accuse him of playing hard to get.

One wonders what some of the founding fathers of Fianna Fail would make of it all. When Sean Lemass became Taoiseach in 1959, he stopped going to race meetings . . . despite his passion for horse racing . . .because he was so concerned about the dignity of the office. Ahern, in contrast, always looks at his most comfortable when in such social surroundings.

Of course, things have changed considerably since Lemass's time. Besides, the soldiers of destiny have always been arch pragmatists and with Ahern on course for a third successive term as Taoiseach, who could question the methods of the country's undisputed party animal?