AS ALWAYS, Des Hanafin was gracious in defeat. He said he accepted the decision of the Supreme Court and made a point after his statement of thanking the members of the media for their courtesy during the case, when he was, he said, "under great stress".
Indeed, immediately after the judgment it looked as if he might collapse as he left his seat doubled up in pain, supported by his wife, Mona, friends and supporters. He explained he has a bad hip and sitting in cramped conditions in the court had left him in severe pain.
However, he quickly recovered, and left the court surrounded by a throng of supporters to read his statement to the press. A supporter inched forward through the crowd to shake his hand and thank him for "putting up the fight".
Earlier, in announcing the court's decision on costs, the Chief Justice, Mr Liam Hamilton, had addressed him: "You were two thirds right and on third wrong." "He said we won two thirds, but that was not enough. It's the last battle that counts," Mr Hanafin said afterwards.
The court was crowded to the extent that it was almost impossible to enter or leave. As well as the large media presence, dozens of lawyers had come to hear the judgnent, as had some of those who shad campaigned during the referendum.
Most of the major figures of the Anti Divorce Campaign were there - its secretary, John O'Reilly, the strategist of the campaign although not a public spokesman for it; Mark Hamilton, author of a hook described as the text book of the anti divorce lobby and a leading member of the Public Policy Institute of Ireland, and the campaign's press officer, Jeremy Hennessy.
However, none of the leading lights of the No Divorce Campaign - Peter Scully, Ger Casey and former High Court judge Mr Justice Rory O'Hanlon, came to hear the judgment, nor did any of those, involved in the Government's campaign.
The response of the Right to Remarry Campaign to the decision was muted. While long standing campaigner and founder of the Divorce Action Group, Mags O'Brien, was in court with Niamh O'Connor, press officer of the Right to Remarry Campaign, there was no public jubilation.
Peter Ward, a barrister and a spokesman for the campaign, who was in another court, said when he heard the decision: "We're just very happy to be able to disband", before appealing to the Government to enact legislation as soon as possible to give effect to the amendment.