If Saint Patrick's Day was designed to bring out the blarney, then Tony Abbott and Kevin Rudd last night laid it on thick.

For the second year, Mr Abbott and Mr Rudd spoke at a Brisbane Saint Patrick's eve dinner, a good-humoured affair where the political anecdotes were taken with a pinch of salt - or a pint of Guinness.

In his own words, Mr Abbott said he was often described as the love child of John Howard and Bronwyn Bishop.

"They assure me that it was an immaculate conception," Mr Abbott said.

Mr Rudd reflected on his career trajectory - how he started as a desk officer for China in the Department of Foreign Affairs before becoming a senior bureaucrat, an MP, Leader of the Opposition, Prime Minister and now Foreign Minister.

"Very soon I'll be desk officer for China in the Department of Foreign Affairs," he said to a guffawing crowd of Irish-Australians.

Mr Abbott spoke of his namesake, Saint Anthony Abbott, a merchant who forswore his riches to live a frugal life.

"The devil fought with Saint Anthony by afflicting him with boredom, laziness and fantasies of women," he said.

"Apparently this is what happens when you try to live with the lowest possible carbon footprint."

Never one to leave a Chinese anecdote at home, Mr Rudd described how he was being interviewed for Chinese television in Beijing recently and was greeted with the question: "Kevin - you're still alive are you?"

"Which is an interesting reflection on, shall I say, the high stakes of Chinese political life," he said.

And the question of leadership was one neither speaker could ignore. Each other's leadership, that is.

Mr Abbott reminded Mr Rudd that Julia Gillard had dismissed her leadership ambitions as akin to playing full-forward for the the Western Bulldogs AFL team, and of Mr Rudd's remark this week that he would be more likely to captain the Brisbane Broncos than win back the top job.

"Not long after this dinner last year, the current Prime Minister suddenly found herself as full-forward for the Western Bulldogs," Mr Abbott said.

"If John Howard could be Lazarus with a triple bypass, what's to stop Kevin Rudd doing a passable impersonation of [Broncos skipper] Darren Lockyer?"

On Mr Abbott's leadership of the Liberal Party, Mr Rudd was less subtle.

"I know for a fact Tony that my good friends Malcolm [Turnbull] and Joe [Hockey] are right behind you every step of the way.

"And let me assure you, Tony, that those pointed instruments they bear in their hands are simply exotic tokens of friendship drawn from distant Pacific islands to show how they care for you."

"While the Irish and Australian prime ministers have experienced some disruptions in their personal career planning over the last 12 months, it's good to see that Tony has managed stability of employment. And I say, well done Tony."

On his own leadership ambitions, Mr Rudd tailored the message to the audience.

"I'm advised that my patron saint, Saint Kevin of Glendalough, has withdrawn grace from his antipodean namesake.

"I've lost count of the number of rosaries I've offered up since to regain his grace, his favour, his patronage and his capacity for divine and miraculous intervention," Mr Rudd said.

But the last word went to Mr Abbott and his ecclesiastical advice on how to handle the media.

"A 96-year-old Archbishop Mannix was interviewed by the ABC. At the conclusion of the interview the reporter expressed the view of another interview next year.

"I don't see why not," said the aged prelate. "You look healthy enough to me."