What happens when the two biggest Irish names in the media business collide at a Saint Patrick's Party?

That is what occurred when Maureen Dowd and Bill O'Reilly met at the IrishCentral/Irish Voice Top Thirty media awards last night in Manhattan.

Maureen was there to accept the Irish Spirit award from Irish America magazine, Bill to be named to the top Media list. They arrived within moments of each other and were soon deep in conversation as the cameras snapped.

What were they talking about?

Well, I can reveal that exclusively, as I was the third person there, handing out the awards.

"Hope I see this picture on the Times website " O'Reilly joked.

"I'm sure you will' Maureen joked back.

Dowd and O'Reilly discussed their common Irish heritage.

She confessed to liking O'Reilly, saying he reminds her of her brothers, Irish kids from the suburbs who did well for themselves.

O'Reilly also thinks Maureen is okay, despite joking about her left-wing views.

In her remarks, Maureen talked about her pride in her heritage and said:

"My parents' blood ran green, and our family listened to Notre Dame football game with a rosary over the knob on the radio."

She was deeply moved when City Of New York genealogist Brian Anderson presented her and her sister Peggy with a bound copy of the arrival records of their grandfather through Ellis Island.