As the Late Late party unfolded in sitting rooms around Ireland and video recorders were poised to preserve history, the chosen few sipped pink champagne, ate strawberries and thanked their lucky stars.
At the audience reception in RTE last night there was a carefully chosen audience of past guests, RTE personalities and the faithful, come to pay homage at the altar of Gay Byrne and the 37-year institution which is the Late Late Show.
Father Kevin McNamara had come from Cork and he thanked "divine intervention" for the ticket he held in his hand. He had followed the show all through the years, even getting friends to tape the ones he missed when out of the country.
"It is a dream come true, but I got the ticket, I think, out of a mix of prayer and persistence, and I am here for the history. It's going to be a fabulous show."
Outside the black limousines aroused the curiosity of everyone. Names like Salman Rushdie and Tony Blair were on everyone's lips as potential guests. The Pope was the most outlandish suggestion of the evening.
Someone quipped that he wouldn't come himself but would probably be sending a messenger in the form of Sinead O'Connor.
An excited looking Sharon Corr confirmed one of the many rumours; she said she and her famous siblings were looking forward to playing at Gay's send-off but admitted to feeling sad. "I feel privileged to be here; I will miss him," she said , before going into rehearsals for the show.
The band had flown over from Madrid to be at RTE last night. "We had lots of other things we were asked to do but this is our priority, this is more important."
Crona and Suzy Byrne, the presenter's two daughters, were feeling emotional. Suzy had come over from London and Crona said that while she would be helping out on the show, she was here to enjoy it. And while the media kept guessing, she insisted she "didn't have a clue" about who was on the show.
Back in audience reception the atmosphere was electric. Two of the younger women there were Ms Melissa McCourt (21) and Ms Melanie McCourt (17), who got their tickets from their grandfather, Mr Kevin McCourt, one of the first director generals of RTE. "We are really excited," said Melissa, who admitted that the night was a welcome break from studying for the finals of a psychology degree in Trinity College Dublin.
A past guest on the show, Irish film-maker Eamon de Buitlear, said he was still being asked about the stories he told on a Late Late appearance in 1984. "Once you are on the show, people never forget it. It's with you for the rest of your life." Gay's brother, Mr Al Byrne, spoke of his emotions. "It's sadness, it's thankfulness, it's congratulatory and it's wonderful. Because as a member of the family we are very proud of him. People have been so nice."
