Gerald splashes out on new sports car for Lisa's 40th

The Herald can reveal how he also splashed out on a speedy sports car for his socialite fiancee, surprising her with the gift at her party on Friday night.

The gregarious lawyer has spent the past few weeks planning the birthday party for her and did his best to keep it a secret from his Dublin Housewives partner.

Lisa was over the moon after he surprised her with a raucous bash over the weekend, which saw the couple joined by 160 of their closest family and friends.

However, she obviously still hasn't forgotten the horrific robbery that she was the victim of a year ago -- Lisa declined to be blindfolded on the way into the party.

The salon owner explained how Gerald wanted to blindfold her as they entered the house they share in Brittas Bay.

"I was going, 'Gerald, hang on a second. I've been tied up in the house and I didn't like it,' so I said, 'Look I'll just hold the scarf up to my eyes'," she said.

She said when she eventually took the scarf down, she saw all her family and friends there and she burst into tears.

They were joined by hordes of familiar faces from the social scene including RTE's Marty Whelan and Lorraine Keane alongside her Dublin Housewives pals Jo Jordan, Roz Flanagan and Virginia Macari.

Also there was controversial crooner Sinead O'Connor, who formed part of the entertainment for attendees.

Other guests included her parents Eileen and Desmond, brother Noel and sister Kira alongside her good pals Ann Marie Nohl and Aileen O'Meara.

The smitten pair have been an item for over four years and got engaged in Residence just before Christmas 2009 when Gerald went down on bended knee. They have not yet set a date for the wedding.

mfinn@herald.ie