The Diary, Ken Sweeney - Scene and Heard

Miriam O' Callaghan

Nadine Coyle

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* Miriam O'Callaghan is going to miss George Lee: "I just want to know who I can ring up in a moment's notice and say 'I'm about to interview the Minister for Finance. Help me, I need some advice? Because for me, George was that guy. Always generous and never too busy – even if he was doing the Nine O'Clock News, he would always give me a steer." Miriam's friendship with George goes back to 1992 when they both started work in RTE. "We began on the same day and on the same programme so I am genuinely heartbroken George is leaving RTE. I think he was so important to the organisation but I wish him well."

* Reports of former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern on the dance floor in Krystle nightclub last weekend, when daughter Georgina celebrated her 30th birthday, are false according to the event organiser and PR Joanne Byrne. "Absolutely not. It's impossible anyway because they were in the VIP suite and Georgina's dad left before the club opened up at 10:45pm," Joanne said. Those who did get in a dance, as they partied till 4am, included Georgina's husband, Nicky Byrne, with bandmate Shane Filan of Westlife, Boyzone's Stephen Gately and Keith Duffy and Manchester City goalkeeper Shay Given.

* Girls Aloud's Nadine Coyle dropped by Lilie's Bordello last weekend after her appearance on the Late Late Show to meet up with bandmates Kimberley Walsh and Nicola Roberts. Spies tell us Cheryl opted for an early night while her pals partied into the early hours.

* Irish author Sebastian Barry was awarded two prizes at The Irish Book Awards in The Mansion House on Wednesday night. His novel The Secret Scripture won both The Hughes & Hughes Irish Novel Of The Year Award and The Tubridy Show Listeners' Choice Award. Nobel Prize-winner Seamus Heaney picked up the Argosy Non-Fiction Award for Stepping Stones. Guests included Roddy Doyle, Rebecca Miller, Hugo Hamilton, Rachel Allen and new author Amy Huberman.