Imelda May – who rushed in from rehearsals for RTÉ’s Late Late Show on which she appeared last night – was on hand for the presentation to the President of a beautiful, framed museum quality print of the latest Hot Press front cover.

It was an emotional moment in what had been a wonderful night of celebration and comradeship.

“It was great that there was such a brilliant turn-out,” Hot Press editor Niall Stokes said. “It really was an extraordinary feeling being surrounded by the covers, from down the days, presented in such a beautiful way. No matter what way you look at it, the team at Hot Press has achieved extraordinary things together over the years – and the exhibition gives a wonderful feel for that legacy. But there’s lots more coming down the turnpike! I finished what I had to say last night with the line: there’s work to do. And it’s true. Ireland has changed radically for the better over the past 40 years of Hot Press existence, from a narrow, essentially theocratic, censorious, mono-cultural society in which discrimination against women was routine, into a far more open, liberal, generous, inclusive, egalitarian and multi-cultural one. But dealing with homelessness, repealing the Eighth Amendment, taking the schools out of religious control and generally working towards a more equal society are now on the agenda.

“The exhibition is a celebration of what we have done to date. I want to thank our readers and our subscribers for helping us to follow the path we carved out. Their support has been everything to us. In the modern era, publications like Hot Press need that support more than ever. So here’s to you – friends and readers and supporters of Hot Press. You mean everything to us."

Each of these historic Hot Press covers has been signed by the artists in question, with Noel and Liam Gallagher, Blur, Paul Simon, Grace Jones, Joe Elliott and Def Leppard, Patti Smith, Radiohead, Kasabian, Sting, Elvis Costello, The Waterboys and Paolo Nutini, representing a small selection of the international acts featured, while Irish names such as Bob Geldof, Hozier, Gabriel Byrne, Van Morrison, Enya, Christy Moore, Imelda May, Gary Lightbody of Snow Patrol, Christy Moore, Kodaline, Picture This, Glen Hansard and The Frames, Horslips, Graham Norton, Packie Bonner, Brian O’Driscoll, Robbie Henshaw, Colin Farrell, and Conor O’Brien of Villagers (among many more) have also added their signatures.

There’s a U2 Wall featuring all forty-plus of Bono, Edge, Larry and Adam’s Hot Press covers, signed by the band and an area devoted to Rory Gallagher, Philip Lynott, Elvis Presley, Gerry Ryan, Amy Winehouse, Kurt Cobain, Leonard Cohen, David Bowie, Prince, Dermot Morgan, our own beloved Bill Graham and others We Have Loved And Lost.

Part of the MusicTown festivities, the exhibition will be open Monday to Saturday from 10am-5pm, and Sunday from noon-5pm. Entry is free.

The exhibition is supported by McGowan’s, Temple Bar Cultural Trust and Dublin Town.