Celtic didn't get to hoist the Cork Super Cup aloft on the pitch, but their visit to the Emerald Isle lifted the hearts, minds and spirits of their supporter base in Ireland.
Brendan Rodgers' men are used to lifting silverware, and they added another cup to their burgeoning Parkhead trophy cabinet with a 2-1 victory over Cork City - Luke MCowan and Colby Donovan on the scoresheet - in front of a healthy crowd of 26,580 spectators inside the stunning venue that was the SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh stadium, which rarely opens its door to soccer.
There was even a little bit of history attached to the fixture as well, as it was the first ever men's fixture to be played on the ground. You learn something new every day, and every day is indeed a school day.
Historically and the Irish are certainly a nation that knows their history, well yours truly, who was seated in the gods of the 45,000 impressive arena found out that the friendly pitch invasion by local kids, which prevented the visitors from Celtic captain Callum McGregor from receiving the Cork Super Cup on the pitch at the end, is something of a tradition in these parts.
After every home game in the GAA (football and hurling), whether that be in the football or hurling, the youngsters always storm the Bastille as it were in search of players' autographs. If they are lucky, they might even bag a souvenir of a coveted jersey or a hurling paddle from one of their heroes. Cork boasts a strong tradition of sporting success and endeavour in both disciplines.
It's largely why the crowd erupted with mass laughter when the PA announcer pleaded for spectators not to run onto the pitch at the end and respect the fact that there would be a trophy presentation held on the hallowed sod. Like that was ever going to happen. The lone voice booming out in the Cork night air was always going to fall on deaf ears.
McGregor did eventually get his hands on the silverware deep inside the stadium's bowels in a private ceremony with Lord Mayor Councillor Fergal Dennehy doing the honours.
If it wasn't for those pesky kids and all that.
This was Celtic's third visit across the water since 2023, and the hand of friendship was extended by the Scottish club pre-match as the Celtic FC Foundation donated 10,000 euros to the Feed Cork charity, which was a great cause addressing food poverty in the local community.
Whilst the over-exuberant kids of Cork may have put paid to the traditional cup presentation ceremony in the end, it was Celtic's young dynamic Hayato Inamura and Callum Osmand who grabbed most of the headlines and attention in the sizzling 25-degree heat in Cork.
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Rodgers revealed his surprise at Inamura's levels so early, the social media hype went into overdrive as some Celtic fans went straight for the hyperbole and started to compare him to former AC Milan and Italian international club legend Paolo Maldini.
What's Japanese or Italian for 'haud the bus?'
Irish eyes were certainly smiling on another wonderful occasion when Celtic reconnected with their fans in the Emerald Isle. It was difficult to see past the Cork Super Cup as being hailed as anything other than a success for the tournament organiser and the Scottish champions.
Paddy Halloran, PRO of the Association of Irish Celtic Supporters Clubs (AICSC) and member of the Port Lairge supporters club and who hails from Waterford, said: "It is great to see a GAA stadium used by the likes of Celtic. We know it is a pre-season friendly, but it is fantastic for a club like Cork City to play at that level and experience that feeling of playing against a big team.
"Celtic coming over to Ireland to reward their Irish fan base is always special, and hopefully they will continue to come back summer after summer. It was a great crowd for a Tuesday night match at 6 pm, which is a killer as we hate those kinds of early kick-offs in the Champions League.
"I would declare Celtic's trip to Ireland a great success, and we would love to see this connection continue and become a regular event. It would have been better if it were a four-team event that was played over a few days, like the Como Cup that is coming up. How good would it be to have a weekend festival of football in Ireland involving Celtic and other teams in the future?"
James Flanagan, 29, who hails from Athenry in Galway, echoed those sentiments. He said: "It was a great experience for Celtic to travel over and it was a reward for the Irish supporters who do the journey in reverse most weeks.
"It was a family event too, and I even took my six-year-old son Callum to his first Celtic game, which was special. You are not expecting Celtic to send over a star-studded team for a pre-season match, but it is all about everyone connecting and having a good time.
"I go over to Glasgow to see Celtic as much as I can. I also want to point out that the pitch invasion at the end is synonymous with the GAA clubs. We were joking that those scenes were akin to Celtic winning the Munster Championship.
"The whole event has been a massive success, and my son has loved it. We even met some of the Celtic players as well, and he wants to be called Callum McGregor from now on, although his favourite player is Daizen Maeda."
Celtic may well have to fight for support in the Emerald Isle alongside the GAA teams as well as established EPL sides, but the club still have mass appeal over the water, and supporters still flock to Scotland in their thousands from all over Ireland to see their heroes in action every other week.
That fact was not lost on me. My own personal Irish road trip has taught me that the passion still burns as brightly as ever for a Scottish football club. The support for Celtic is still as fervent as it always was. The deep connection that the Irish feel to Celtic isn't going away anytime soon, despite the popularity of both the GAA and the EPL.
The Irish people just love it when Celtic come calling. The biggest takeaway from it all is that those who are geographically disadvantaged crave to see their Celtic heroes in action. In an ideal world, they would want the men in green and white to make the trip over the water on a more regular basis.
There is a school of thought that Celtic should come to the Emerald Isle and factor a tour in the country as part of their pre-season preparations every year as a reward for those who continue to make the journey to Scotland and to all destinations every other week to cheer on their idols.
Celtic are box-office wherever they go and always in demand, but nowhere more so than in Ireland. Those sentiments are certainly not lost on Rodgers.
When asked if there would be a Cork Super Cup rematch, the Irishman offered no immediate guarantees.
Rodgers remarked: “I cannot promise anything, I can't commit to anything now. We've got so many offers to travel the world, but I also think it's good for us to take Celtic to different parts of Ireland as well.
"We went to Sligo last year, that was great. We've been to Cork and our notion is always to come back here. In the short time we've been here, we've been received so well, and the facility has been brilliant. I want to say a big thank you to the people of Cork and the city."
"It's been so nice since we arrived on Monday afternoon. The support, the friendship, everything has been amazing. Cork is a wonderful place to come and play, and this was a great event for us all. So, thank you very much for everything.”
The red carpet treatment will always be rolled out for the men in green and white whenever they visit Ireland. Celtic are always welcome in the Emerald Isle.
'Céad míle fáilte' as they say around these parts.
