Anyone watching Bernard Dunne's massive win in the O2 last Saturday night could not fail to spot an intriguing mix of celebrities in the €250 ringside seats. Denis Hickie and Shane Horgan were there alongside Ken Doherty, Paul McGrath, Boyzone's Mikey Graham and Keith Duffy, Westlife's Nicky Byrne and TV presenter Brian Ormond.

So what we wanted to know was who had invited them, had they actually paid for their seats and are they real boxing fans?

MCD's Brian Whitehead was responsible for gathering this eclectic bunch and explains: "All of these guys go to every one of Bernard's fights. In fact, Keith Duffy has driven as far as Castlebar to see Bernard in the ring."

But these plum seats come with their own dangers. "It's tradition that any celebrities in the first few rows are introduced to the crowd by the MC. That night was hilarious because when Mikey and Keith were introduced as being from Boyzone, the crowd booed but when Paul McGrath was introduced there was a huge cheer," Brian said.

"Being such fans of Bernard, all the lads went nuts when he won. I just remember jumping up and throwing my arms around Paul McGrath. Keith Duffy was dancing around in the seats. It was brilliant."

The VIP's began their evening in The Italian Corner Restaurant on Dublin's Wellington Quay. Here, owner Danny Byrne installed a TV set so they could watch Ireland defeat Wales in the Six Nations face-off in Cardiff. After the fight, a coach was laid on to spirit the celebs away from the O2 arena and onto Lillie's Bordello, where their own private table awaited them.

Said and Done

Boyzone popstar Ronan Keating is selling some
of his fleet of luxury cars
due to the recession. Ronan said : "At one time I had 11 cars. Now I have six. I can't be swanning around in

loads of cars. We all
need to show a little humility," he says.