New & Noteworthy:We’ll bet he thought the song was about him . . .

By Eileen Murphy

He walked into the party, one assumes, like he was walking onto a yacht. His hat, if he had one, woulda been strategically dipped below one eye, his scarf — conceivably — apricot . . .

They say politics makes strange bedfellows, but, for our money, it makes even stranger party guests. How else can one explain the presence of superstar singer Carly Simon at Gerry Adam’s birthday bash last weekend? We were absolutely intrigued at the thought of the wide-lipped singer from the Bronx serenading the tight-lipped Sinn Fein president from Belfast.

Hundreds gathered at Webster Hall last Saturday night to help Big Gerry blow out his birthday candles. We couldn’t make it (too busy sending “winwinwin” vibes to the Yankees), but it’s just as well. We hear that security concerns forced Gerry to stay holed up in the VIP area, anyway. Which meant that the crowd was suffering from what Carly might have characterized as “Anticipation . . . an-ti-ci-pay-ay-shun . . .”

Other songs Carly could have tailored — or is that Taylored (as in ex-hubby James)? — include “Mockingbird.” We can just imagine: “Sinn (yeah!) Fein (yeah!) Prez (yeah!) ident (yeah!).” And of course, there’s our personal favorite, “Jesse,” which could easily become “Gerry”: “Oh, mother, say a prayer for me/Gerry’s back in town, this won’t be easy./Don’t let him near me/Don’t let him touch me/Don’t let him tease me . . .”

He’s got friends in long-ago places . . .

Put this one in your “X” file — for ex-tremely weird, that is. An English woman named Jenny Smedley claims in her book, “Ripples,” that country superstar Garth Brooks was her Irish husband in a past life.

Smedley believes that, back in the 17th century, she was married to a Wexford man named Ryan Fitzgerald. Unfortunately (for him), Fitzgerald was stabbed through the side with a sword, and, one assumes, croaked.

In a spooky coincidence, she claims that Ryan was wounded in the exact spot where Garth puts his hand out of habit. Ooh! we’re feeling tingly all over . . .

But there’s more. Smedley says she has had many signs that Garth is really the 20th century reincarnation of Ryan.

“Garth has done certain things and said certain things to suggest that he believes in the notion of reincarnation,” Smedley told the Sunday World.

“I was watching his concert one evening on the television and the camera went close-up on Garth’s eyes, and I felt an unbelievable sense of relief and fulfillment.”

Funny, we feel the same way when we watch Brad Pitt on a movie screen, but we’re getting off the subject . . .

Smedley has yet to meet Garth (or is it Ryan?), but she is comforted by the thought that the singer is aware of her book.

“Aside from my husband and my son, Garth is the single most important man in my life to me,” she said. “And he doesn’t even know it.”

Omagh benefit album

Showing that charity begins at home, a host of Irish superstars are getting together to raise money for the victims of the Omagh bombing. U2, Ash, Neil Hannon, BoyZone, Van Morrison, the Corrs, Sinead O’Connor, the Cranberries and Liam Neeson will all contribute tracks to “A Bridge of Hope,” which will be released in late November.

The title is taken from a poem written by a 12-year-old victim of the bombing, Sean McLachlan.

Neeson will read a poem by Seamus Heaney, while Morrison is contributing an exclusive live track to the project. Christy Moore and U2 will donate “North and South of the River. ” Sinead O’Connor is doing a cover of Abba’s “Chiquitita,” the Cranberries will do “War Child,” and U2 will contribute “Please.”

As soon as we have details on stateside outlets, we’ll let you know. And don’t forget, if you want to support the Omagh Relief Fund, make sure to head up to the Bronx for the Nov. 6 benefit at Gaelic Park. Musical guests include Bagatelle, who are flying over especially to appear at the benefit.

Briefings

If you live in the New York City area, you might have the good fortune to spot Liam Neeson. The big fella (yes, yes, a reference to “Michael Collins”) is filming a movie on location here. His costar is Sandra Bullock, who seems to be on a roll with Irish actors. Sandra’s love interest in her current film, “Practical Magic,” is the irresistible Aidan Quinn.