Historic - that was the word. Everybody used it, continually, in every speech, in every statement. None of us were left in any doubt about exactly how momentous the occasion was.
Except that "scrum" might have been a better one, as 3,000 members of the world media did some converging themselves and all descended as one on the grand Justus Lipsius Building in the heart of Brussels to await the birth of the euro.
It was to be a long wait - 11 hours to be exact - on Saturday for the final decision by the heads of State on the euro and the appointments to the European Central Bank. First they met informally and then broke off into many bi-lateral and tri-lateral meetings.
They sat cooped up all afternoon like a prosperous hung jury, sipping vintage Bordeaux wine - incidentally, a 1986 Chateau Pichon Longueville - in the lunch room of the pink marble Justus Lipsius building.
Spanish Prime Minister, Mr Jose Maria Aznar smoked heavily. Mr Wim Kok, Prime Minister of the Netherlands, and German Chancellor Dr Helmut Kohl, Europe's veteran power-broker, left the room occasionally to confer in the corridor. But the leaders stayed in touch with the outside world. The Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, was told Ken Doherty had reached the final of the World Snooker Championship, while the football results were transmitted to Dr Kohl.
It was an historic event as the British Chancellor of the Exchequer, Mr Gordon Brown, reminded us in his address to the European Parliament earlier in the day.
Others followed suit. "An event never seen before in history"; "the most historic day since the end of the war" among the offerings.
Security was tight and it applied to everyone - even Government leaders. The 200 security personnel kept sharp eyes inside, while Belgian police sitting in their dark blue vans cordoned off the streets.
After his meeting with the Taoiseach on Saturday, the British Prime Minister, Mr Blair, stayed behind for a meeting with Dr Kohl. At least that was the idea except the French thought differently.
French President, Mr Jacques Chirac. and Prime Minister Lionel Jospin arrived and tried to muscle in on the meeting.
Security men stepped in and barred their way as the redoubtable Chancellor was seen heading in their direction. A meeting with the French was diplomatically and hastily arranged for later and a clash between the Euro giants was averted - until later.
But on the periphery of all this grandeur were the real high-flyers. The Maharishi International Council of Natural Law Parties, whose members are reported to be able to levitate, also met in Brussels to discuss the euro.
And they had the answer: a group of 7,000 experts to create coherence in collective consciousness.
"It is the quality of human consciousness, individually and collectively, that determines the success or the failure of the economy."
If only the leaders has listened to them.