AMID the usual riotous scenes in any post-match championship dressing-room, champagne flowed (more on the roof than down thirsty, hoarse throats), while the levels of sighing and blood pressure rose accordingly.
Somehow, in undoubtedly the moments of his finest achievement, the St Patrick's manager Brian Kerr tried to put the club's fifth title success, and second in his remarkable nine-year reign, into perspective.
"I kept thinking it might not happen he revealed after another nail-biting night in their arduous journey to the promised land, "that in the last few matches it might be snatched away from us. I was right to think that after looking at tonight's game. We had a few lucky escapes.
However, as the old adage goes, championships are won over a season and not on one particular night, and as Kerr immediately added: "But still, it's 32 games and just four defeats, and that speaks for itself."
Asked whether he had always felt he had the makings of another championship-winning team, Kerr said: "In your own mind you think you have a good team and a good chance."
"Everybody put in a huge, huge effort, no matter what I asked of them - the Galway lads, people like Christy McElligott, Martin Reilly, Alan Kane, and Brian Morrisroe. You also see people like Pat Fenlon and Damien Byrne come here. They're still part of Pat's even though they're doing other things."
Appreciating the popularity St Patrick's traditionally derive from outside their `family' club, Kerr said: "There was a lot of goodwill toward Pat's this week. I think we're popular winners. There's an element of decency in the way we conduct "our business and run our club."
Their euphoric, understandably emotional, chief executive Pat Dolan said: "The last time we won the league the club nearly disappeared. This time we're going to the moon. We'll build a beautiful club to play the beautiful game. This is only the beginning. It's great to be Irish.
He added: "The supporters, Brian Kerr, the chairman Tim O'Flaherty - they got what they deserved and that is champions of Ireland and it does matter. It really does matter."
"That win was for everybody, that was for west Dublin", for west Dublin he repeated. Signing off with his trademark catch-cry, which brings cheers from their new vociferous young following whenever "he is encouraged to offer it, Dolan said: "C'mon you Supersaints."
The abiding memory of their last-day 1-1 draw on that memorable night at a packed Oriel Park in `88 when pipped for the title by Dundalk was meeting Kerr in the Dundalk boardroom after the dust had settled. There was water in his eyes and he patently felt a mixture of disappointment but also pride in the emergence of his new young side.
This time the outstanding memory will be of Kerr going out on to the pitch on his own for a few moments private reflection, looking up toward the working press and punching the air. Fair play to him, and to them.
