The elegant Bank of Ireland room on College Green was thronged and hot - like a church can get in the summer. It was a book launch like no other, lacking only a Papal blessing. And we were in the presence of the blessed. Jack Charlton, Ronnie Delany, Eamonn Coghlan and Willie John McBride all stood by. Paidi O Se and Mary Peters, Billy Bingham and John Treacy were there too. Adoring fans hunted autographs with a religious zeal. Having secured the signatures, one expected them to genuflect or stand silently for a blessing.
The sporting heroes stood by graciously, signing books left, right and centre. "I don't feel like a hero, I'm lucky that I like people," said Peters, who arrived from Belfast. "It's a privilege that I'm able to share my experience and also to inspire young people.
"When you're successful in sport, it's a shared moment. We understand each other." Referring to John Treacy's anecdote about a phone conversation with her which had left him in tears, she explained: "He was reliving my moment."
Jack Charlton, with the regal bearing of a king, treated each fan with gentleness. "I've always tried to give people that I meet the time," he said. "In Dublin they just stop you and tell you their story, the one they remember and you've got to sit down and listen, you would never ignore that. I would never ignore that. I try very hard to be a nice person." Some fans were less pushy than others. Bernard Loughran (11) from Killiney, Co Dublin, wants to be a soccer player when he grows up. "Then I'd like to be a manager like Jack Charlton. He's really nice - I got my photo taken with him." Standing beside him was his friend from Kilmacanogue, Co Wicklow, Bruschi Wojnar (12) - Austrian name notwithstanding, he too wants to play football for Ireland.
Ned Keane and his wife, Marie, were there from Villierstown, Co Waterford, proud to be first cousins of Colm Keane, author of the book, A Cut Above the Rest - Irish Sporting Heroes, which had brought us all together. They came up for the occasion, as did a slew of friends and relations from his home town of Youghal, Co Cork.