This week's 'Lost In A Launch' should really be titled 'Barred From A Launch', but more about that later. On Monday, we donned our finest (borrowed) Philip Treacy hat and headed to Carton House near Maynooth for the Powers Whiskey Irish Grand National Tipster's Reception. There's nothing like a bucketload of bubbly, some excellent canapés, and the wisdom of RTé's Colm Murray to set you up for a day at the races. Even though it started to lash rain on the way, the busload of race-goers which featured endless TV3 employees (including Alan Cantwell, Sinead Desmond, Sybil and Aisling from Xposé and a few more), and Daithí Ó Sé being delightfully boisterous as usual, downed their snipes of champagne and headed for the Jameson suite to eat, bet and be merry. We put a fair whack of our wages on a horse called Maginty in the last race because we thought it sounded funny. Wasn't so amusing when it lost.

Back to the Big Smoke, and on Tuesday I was told rather apologetically by Electric Picnic's PR people Lindsay Holmes Publicity, that I was launch-persona non grata since the Pod and Picnic honcho John Reynolds is still stinging from a piece the Sunday Tribune published earlier this year. In the article, I wrote about Reynolds' hardship after a tough period in the live music industry and speculation that Electric Picnic (which happens to be my personal favourite Irish festival) may be in trouble, although indicated it would still go ahead. Subsequently more news surfaced about Reynolds' financial woes, which was then followed by MCD's major buy-out of part of the festival, but you know, like, whatever.

Given that Lost In A Launch's name is now muck in Dublin, we escaped to the west for some entertainment. Our week began and ended with horses, as DiscoverIreland.ie/ equestrian was there to whisk us away on a jolly to Knockranny House Hotel where a beach ride underneath Croagh Patrick with the Westport Woods Riding Centre and a hot stone massage were planned to alleviate the stress of having our name stricken from launch list clipboards. After all that we are feeling quite sympathetic towards the equine kind. I might even consider investing in a little horsey ? if only to have a getaway method from angry music promoters. Tally ho!

For some reason I have been inundated with rather peculiar invites of late. The days of trotting along to the opening of a five-star spa or a new oyster bar are over and now it's all about losing things; namely hair, weight and sleep. Tomorrow, GlaxoSmithKlein Consumer Health­­care Ireland launches a new brand of weight loss pill called 'alli'. Then on Friday, to celebrate National Thinning Hair Awareness Month (MONTH? MONTH?? We can't get an extra bank holiday in the entire year and baldies get a whole MONTH?) Lifes2good is hosting some launch at the Radisson in Golden Lane. Jennie Bond and Celia Holman-Lee will be in attendance, neither of whom I was aware were losing their hair. Maybe they've taken to pulling it out due to the lack of fun parties at the minute. If you need to lie down after all of that, Arnotts is offering one the chance of a nap on Wednesday to introduce its new range of Stearns & Foster beds. Then on Thursday Meditech Clinics is having its offi­cial opening, not that anyone needs non-invasive lipo these days given that all the free food has dried up. All a bit of a snorefest really, innit? Might have to RSVP to Arnotts to catch some ZZZs...

Opening night of Pygmalion bar

Jay Bourke's latest venture opens in Dublin

Talking point

Opening a new bar in these recessionary times

"The pub has always been a good value night out. It's cheaper than the cinema anyway"

- Jay Bourke, owner of Pygmalion

Grand National Day at Fairyhouse

The big Easter Monday racing extravaganza

Talking point

The victory of rank outsider Niche Market

"I was lucky in that I backed the winner at 55/1 on the tote. It was a total fluke. I only did it because the previous night I met his owner Graham Regan in Carlton House"

- Daithí Ó Sé