Different times and different seasons but a similar story as Corkonians tuned into their radios and turned on their TV sets to witness yet another extraordinary chapter in the never boring footballing life of local hero, Roy Maurice Keane.
Mossie and Marie Keane, Roy's parents, found the media trekking to their home in Rathpeacon on the outskirts of Cork's northside with invitations to talk about their son yet again. But Mrs Keane politely declined, leaving local scribes to search elsewhere for reaction.
Most people were shocked, as Jimmy Deasy - former chairman of Rockmount FC where Roy learned his football - explained: "I think most people in Cork will be very sad today - Roy's an icon for so many people here given what he's achieved in the game.
"It's a terrible kick in the teeth after all the years of service that he's given to Man United - I reckon that the United fans will be up in arms over this but at the end of the day, as we've seen with the whole Glazer thing, their opinions don't matter much.
"I think myself that Roy has two or three years left in him - he looks after himself well and he has a great football brain - he could easily drop back to playing centre-half with some club and get another two or three years playing top-level football," said Jimmy.
Derek Clarke was a team-mate of Roy on a string of highly successful Rockmount under-age teams and he reckoned that Roy would bounce back from this latest reverse. "Roy's his own man and he'll be grand. Hopefully, he'll go to Celtic because he has a few good years left in him yet."
Michael Aherne - owner of the Templeacre Tavern in Gurranabraher, where Roy visits with his brothers when he's home from Britain - said that people were shocked by the lunchtime news that Man United were leaving the Corkman go.
"I suppose we knew things weren't great for him at the moment and the interview with MUTV didn't help things but it still came as a huge shock - they can say it's by mutual consent but he's been given the boot, there's no doubt about that."
Former Templeacre Tavern manager Tony Maher knows Roy well from his trips back to Cork and meeting him on annual visits to Old Trafford, and he admitted that he wasn't hugely surprised by the Corkman's sudden departure from the Manchester club.
"I could see it coming - you just don't cross Fergie and fall out with Fergie no matter who you are. But Roy won't shed a tear about this - he could see this coming - he's no fool and he knows Fergie better than anyone.
"He might look isolated at the moment but that won't worry him, he'd nearly prefer it.
"I could never see Roy going for the FAI job. He just thinks they're a bunch of amateurs.
" I wouldn't be surprised though if you saw him going to Notts Forest - they're not going great at the moment and he has always had a great grá for that club," said Tony.
The Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern, has expressed sadness at the news of Roy Keane's departure from Manchester United and he has also praised the Irish footballer.
"I am saddened to see Roy's departure from Old Trafford. Roy has been a truly inspirational captain to Manchester United, and his courage, drive and indisputable football skills have time and again propelled his team to victory.
"I know that Alex Ferguson once said that Roy was the finest footballer he ever worked with and that is truly praise indeed," Mr Ahern said.
