It's only when you see all of us herded into the one place that you truly realise the contribution Irish people have made overseas... Niall Horan, Graham Linehan, Pauline McLynn, Rachel Allen, Eddie Irvine, Van Morrison, Imelda May (the first person RTE 9pm News chose to interview, because she's RTE's 'go to' person for just about anything, it seems), Barry McGuigan, Jonjo O'Neill, and designer Orla Kiely were just some of the names attending the Irish Community Reception at Buckingham Palace last night.

Say what you like about The Queen, it's not every 87-year-old who would shake hands with people for five hours before getting stuck chatting to Louis Walsh. She's a trooper. As for Prince Phillip, he's 92. NINETY TWO. And I bet he managed not to say the 'P' word once, fair play to him.

Speaking of his time with The Queen, Walsh told The Irish Times: "It is a really good night, a celebration of all things great about IIIIIIreland and the IIIIIIIrish. The queen was magnificent when she came to Ireland. She has the X Factor, she’s got it, no doubt about that."

And that is just one of the reasons why Simon Cowell will never oust Louis from The X Factor - he's a PR MACHINE!! That and Sinitta has those phantom photos.

Last night was a curtain raiser for President Higgins' visit to Buckingham Palace next week. It will be the first ever state visit to the UK by an Irish president - not that he's letting it go to his head...