When the rugby players of Ireland and France run on to the field at Croke Park tomorrow in front of 82,000 spectators and the tens of millions watching on TV, they will bring the curtain down on one of the most contentious issues in the cultural and sporting life of the island of Ireland over the last 90 years.
As a spectacle tomorrow's occasion promises to be wonderful with all strands of Irish life witnessing - in person or on television - a historic event that will be recalled for generations to come. Its political and social significance are immense and almost outweigh its importance as a sporting event.
Although the road to opening Croke Park to rugby and soccer has been tortuous and often divisive, the debate is now done and dusted. The Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA), which came in for a huge amount of criticism in the ebb and flow of that debate, has ultimately shown itself to be a confident and outward looking organisation which will benefit hugely in every respect from welcoming other codes to its marvellous stadium.
Not alone will the association get an opportunity to showcase one of the finest sports arenas in Europe but it will also reap huge financial dividends from the arrangement with the Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU) and the Football Association of Ireland (FAI). Those considerations may not weigh too heavily with some diehard elements but pragmatism has been a cornerstone of the GAA's success on and off the pitch in recent years.
Pragmatic as the association is, it should not be forgotten that it has its own mandate to fulfil and it cannot indefinitely come to the rescue of both the FAI and IRFU who have been laggardly in their plans to develop a stadium that will meet their international needs. Some of the blame for these delays rests with the two sports bodies but the Government's meddling in stadium issues over the last decade has been both embarrassing and damaging.
Mindful of all the sensitivities involved , both the IRFU and FAI have handled the delicate negotiations over the use of Croke Park with the respect that the GAA deserved. It is vital now that rugby and soccer supporters follow that example and leave any patronising attitudes towards their hosts at the turnstiles.
Hyberbole in sports is so common that when a truly momentous event comes around, it is frequently difficult to put into perspective its proper place in history. There is no such issue with tomorrow's game. Irrespective of the match result, it will live up to its billing as one of the greatest days in Irish sport.