Aer Lingus chief executive Christophe Mueller was in fine fettle on Wednesday at the airport reception for the inaugural Aer Lingus Dublin-San Francisco flight.

Officials from the State enterprise agencies and representatives of US firms located here lobbied hard for the launch of a route to connect Ireland directly with Silicon Valley, so Mueller was among friends at the launch.

He thanked several people who were key in getting the new route over the line, with a special mention for the US embassy's charge d'affaires in Dublin, Stuart Dwyer. The US diplomat is a tall chap – over six and a half foot, according to one person present – and Mueller assured him there would be plenty of leg room on the new transatlantic flights, even for him.

Separately, the US Embassy in Dublin held a conference yesterday that was all about the smart economy. Wasn’t that Brian Cowen’s idea six years ago?

A smart(arse) economy, sharp house price spikes, Garth Brookes in Croker . . . We really are heading back to a nightmarish future.