The good, the great and the gallant gathered at the Garda Social Club on Dublin's Harcourt Street for a special shin-dig this week.
"He's a legend," said publisher Michael O'Brien, as he introduced Dr Jim Donovan, head of the Forensic Science Laboratory.
"It's a sort of an unusual job," said Donovan, looking at us with mischief in his eye. His wife, Mary Donovan, a physics teacher in St Louis Secondary School, along with his two sisters Helen Donovan and Carmel Donovan, looked on.
"I could never write a book like this. My first language is not English. I come from Cork," he said in a deadpan voice.
Cracking Crime, Jim Donovan - Forensic Detective is written by Ireland on Sunday journalist Niamh O'Connor, who married this newspaper's racing correspondent Brian O'Connor only last month.
"Jim has paid a very severe price for his professionalism in terms of personal suffering," said Pat Byrne, commissioner of the Garda S∅ochβna, referring to three attempts on Donovan's life.
"Being blown up is a bit of an experience," Donovan said. "It's not something I'd recommend . . . but it's quite interesting." He has since received a spinal cord stimulator, "so I'm now bionic". He recalled the early days in the 1970s, when he set up the forensic laboratory.
"While prayer was very relevant in the Garda, I felt that science was useful as well," he said.
"Felix McKenna - I remember him when he was young," said the scientist, looking at the now detective chief superintendent of the Criminal Assets Bureau. Prof John Harbison spoke glowingly of Donovan.
Kevin Matthews, assistant chief State solicitor, queued to get his copy of the book autographed. All paid tribute to Donovan's courage.
Supt Michael Byrne and forensic scientist Liam Fleury chatted after the speeches. Det Chief Supt Seβn Camon, of the National Bureau of Criminal Investigations, and Det Tony Tighe, of Tallaght Garda Station, surveyed the hall.
For the moment there was no crime to crack.