A women's Gaelic team has trained for a crucial cup tie at the home of Northern Ireland's most identifiably Protestant soccer club, it emerged today.
For years Windsor Park in Belfast has been a no-go area for Catholics driven out by sectarian chanting from the terraces.
But the barriers crumbled under sporting goodwill as Linfield FC allowed Camogie players from St Mary's Teacher Training College into Northern Ireland's footballing shrine.
Mr David Jeffrey, the Irish League champions' colourful manager, arranged for pitches to be made available after an SOS call from St Mary's coach Ms Mel Smith.
Ms Smith (50) praised the soccer supremo for rescuing her attempts to prepare properly for this weekend's Purcell Cup semi-final.
She said: "David Jeffrey is a gentleman who worked a miracle for us."
Her students normally practise on gravel pitches close to their base on the Falls Road. But with the critical tie against Queen's University looming, all efforts to find a grass surface for night time training appeared doomed to failure.
Local Gaelic Football clubs were unable to help because of no floodlighting.
As time began to run out, she had a final, apparently futile, idea on Monday.
"David Jeffrey's name came into my head," she recalled. "I don't know anything about soccer, but I'm mad about all sports and read about Linfield always seeming to win.
"My personal feeling was that it would as hard to get Casement Park (Antrim GAA's ground) as Windsor Park so I got hold of David's number, phoned and asked him.
"He listened to me and by the time I was finished he was laughing and said 'No problem, let me make a few arrangements'."
PA