Marcus toasts return to Irish shores with night out at Lillie's

HIS high-profile ex-girlfriend Leigh Arnold has just quit Irish shores in favour of a new life in the Big Apple but ironically it looks like perma-tanned socialite Marcus Sweeney is preparing to make the move back home.

The Diary can reveal how we'll be seeing a lot more of the failed restaurateur on Dublin's social scene from now on, as he prepares to launch his latest business venture.

Man-about-town Marcus (33), who had been living in Dubai for the past 18 months, is planning to cash in on the country's recessionary woes by launching his own website, which will showcase low-cost NAMA properties

The former owner of Dublin's Il Pomo D'Oro restaurant is hoping to launch the site in March and will now spend the majority of his time in Ireland after millionaires' playground Dubai was badly hit by the global economic downturn.

Marcus was spotted celebrating his latest foray into the distressed property market at the weekend when he stepped out for a night on the tiles at celebrity hotspot Lillie's Bordello alongside his close pals PJ Mansfield and former A1 boss Mark Kershaw.

The tangoed businessman, who was previously engaged to late model Katy French, has been keeping a low profile since moving back to his home town before Christmas.

He was more than happy to discuss his new project on Saturday night however, as he toasted his return to Dublin.

He was in good company on the night with Rosanna Davison joining pals including fellow catwalk queen Laura Toogood and Lillie's hostess Hayley Rock.

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