Karen is from Clontarf, and is the youngest of six children. She studied languages at UCD, and is the founder and director of the English Language School, International House, Dublin, on Lower Camden Street (www. ihdublin. com). Karen will be marrying her partner Larry Finnegan this coming Wednesday, and they have two daughters, Caroline (8) and Isabelle (5).

Claudia grew up with her two brothers in Ballsbridge. She studied acting with Betty Ann Norton from an early age, and did a degree in commerce at UCD. She has had a varied acting career, and is best known for playing the role of Nicola Prendergast in Fair City for 14 years.

Claudia's first novel was published in 2004, and her current book, Remind Me Again Why I Need a Man, is out now. It will be closely followed by her next novel, I Never Fancied Him Anyway, which will be published in September.

Karen on Claudia

Claudia and I have been best friends since we were in primary school in Loreto on the Green. I remember her always being a serious, diligent hardworking student, and she had the lead part in every single play . . . there was never another Virgin Mary in a nativity play at our school!

Claudia and I became really pally in secondary school, and then went to UCD and also lived together for 10 years. At one point, we were sharing with another friend, Christine Higgins, and there were three single guys in the house next door. It was just like Friends, and there were shenanigans all of the time. When wheelie bins first came out, we used to have races down Lansdowne Park in them after parties.

Claudia and I decided one year that we should go over to LA to check out whether we could get a fantastic agent for her while we were there. We thought that in no time at all she'd have an Oscar nomination, and we even had the dress designed for the ceremony.

We stayed at the Beverly Hills Hilton, and we came back one night and discovered that there was a Democratic Women's Convention being addressed by Hillary Clinton in the ballroom. We sneaked in through the kitchen, and joined a line of people queuing up to shake her hand. When we got to the top, Claudia told her that we had seen her when she came to Ireland. Well, we had seen her on the news. Even though there was strictly no photography allowed, Claudia asked could she take a pic, and had clicked before Hillary had a chance to object.

So the pic is of Hillary looking surprised, me looking shocked, and a Secret Service man lunging at us.

Claudia's books are absolutely brilliant, and in a way reading them is like having a conversation with her, because I spot so many things I can identify with. I can't put them down and can't get to sleep until I finish each book. She's naturally hilarious, and she gets that from her mum and dad.

Claudia is generous to a fault . . . so much so that when my children are annoyed with me, they threaten to run off and live with her. She's a wonderful person and a great best friend, and is a fantastic godmother to my daughter Caroline.

I was very ill when I was pregnant on Caroline, and was in hospital for three months. There wasn't a day that Claudia didn't come in to visit me, come hail, rain or snow. I'm getting married this coming Wednesday and Claudia will be my bridesmaid. She was the obvious choice, because she has always been my number one friend.

Claudia on Karen

I can never remember a time that I didn't know Karen. I'd say I was a painin-the arse swot in school, whereas Karen was a bit of a messer . . . there was more of a jizz about her.

The week before the Leaving some of the boldest girls in our year put detergent in the fountain in St Stephen's Green, and of course, it foamed like mad. A foam fight ensued, which Karen and I were involved in, but nobody owned up when questioned by the head nun. Unfortunately, a photographer from one of the evening papers happened to be passing at the time, so our picture made it into the paper and we were caught. We got sent home for that.

Karen is the sister that I never had, and her family are fantastic too. We genuinely never had a cross word between us when we lived together, and not many people can say that. I grew up with brothers so had never had the experience of sisters borrowing makeup and clothes up to then, but I think it benefited me a lot more than Karen.

She always had beautiful, classy stuff, whereas I was usually in 'unemployed actor' gear. I used to love when she'd go away because then I'd have first dibs, and I'd lie through my teeth if she asked if I'd been wearing her clothes. I used to tease her about her handbags, because they were real 'Queen Mother' bags, so I'd ask her whether she had her ceremonial scissors in them for cutting ribbons and a bottle of gin.

I think Karen is a real inspiration because when she decides to do something, she just goes for it. When we were living together, she set up International House, Dublin, which had always been her dream. Shortly afterwards, she entered the 'Business Woman of the Year' competition, and won it even though she was up against these people from major, huge businesses. She's doing so well.

Karen is so supportive of me, and will go into Waterstones and buy 10 of my books as presents for people. She's always going off to Ballymaloe to do courses, and is responsible for the tiny bit of cooking I can do.

I'm really looking forward to her wedding this week, and I have never met two people more suited than Karen and Larry . . . it's going to be such a lovely celebration.