Simply put, it was an occasion to be deeply proud to be Irish. It was pulsating, emotional, sporting in the very best sense of the word, unspoiled by bad manners or churlish gestures.
It was much more than a game. Croke Park, with its visceral history, excelled itself in providing a magnificent venue for the accommodation of all traditions within the island of Ireland. Great credit is due to the GAA and to the IRFU for making a day that will go down in the annals of history.
The behaviour of the large crowd of more than 82,000 attending the first Ireland-England rugby match at the home of Gaelic games was exemplary but, more importantly, it was genuine. The local community, more accustomed to their usual football and hurling guests, were also very welcoming with bunting and flags abounding.
At a time when it is fashionable to be critical of the materialism of Irish society, the rugby match at Croke Park on Saturday evening showed off Ireland at its best. The playing of God Save The Queen, without interruption, on the sporting ground where 14 innocent people were killed by British Auxiliaries in 1920, was hair-raising and historic and set a special backdrop of expectation for the players before the game began. The national anthem, Amhrán na bhFiann followed with what seemed a louder and greater gusto than on other occasions. There were many wet eyes.
The respect shown to the singing of the British national anthem at Croke Park is a measure of how much Ireland has changed for the better. There was no sign of the petty begrudgery and narrow-minded republicanism witnessed at the time of the GAA's debate on changing Rule 42. Although the current accommodation of rugby and soccer may be only a "temporary arrangement", it was clear from the crowd who attended Croke Park on Saturday that they would have no problem with a longer term association.
All in all, it was a very special night to remember in the history, not just of sport, but of a modern Ireland, full of self-confidence and comfortable with herself. It was a privilege to be there, an occasion to be recited to grandchildren. A new little bit of history was made.
But, why? The Ireland-England rugby match at Croke Park will go down in history as the day that we demonstrated a confidence amongst ourselves as a nation, a generous sense of Irishness, a belief in our sovereignty as an independent state, a pride in our achievements in the Celtic Tiger years and, above all, a national affirmation that we are in command of our destiny. British occupation is a thing of the distant past.