Officially it's a European semi-final but as the rugby teams of Leinster and Munster prepare to meet at Lansdowne Road tomorrow, the continent has not been so sidelined by an event since the time a British newspaper reported: "Fog in the Channel - Europe Cut Off".
It's the biggest domestic squabble in Irish sport so far this year and the stakes are higher than a mere place in next month's Heineken Cup decider.
At least 12 months worth of local bragging rights are also at issue. For fans of both teams, the need to stand up and be counted tomorrow will have nothing to do with the 2006 census.
Indeed, the population of rugby hotbeds like Limerick could come up well short in the latter, with at least 20,000 Munster fans heading for Lansdowne and many more expected to travel to the capital without a match ticket.
More than 3,000 supporters will come by trains on Sunday morning alone, for which all Dublin-bound seats from the southwest are booked out.
Although Leinster are slight favourites for the game itself, the province's supporters are rank outsiders in the challenge of matching Munster fans' commitment.
Limerick has even gone to the trouble of painting itself red ahead of the game, thanks to a contest for match tickets.
One fan who is no longer ticketless, as a result, is wedding co-ordinator Sharon McMeel (27), who secured two precious pieces of cardboard by decking her home in the Munster colours.
Sharon had given up hope of being at the game until 7.30am yesterday, when she learned she was one of two winners in the best dressed shop and house competition, organised by the Limerick Co-Ordination Office.
"I just couldn't believe it - it's just like a dream come true," she said, after beating 25 other entrants.
"The first thing I did was ring my Mum Dolores to tell her we're going to Dublin and she kept ringing me back to check if it was true.
"The tickets were like gold dust, selling for up to €900 on e-Bay, so we thought our only hope was to dress my house with all the Munster memorabilia we'd collected over the years and hope for the best. "
A little part of Dublin 4 will also be painted red tomorrow.
The Munster Supporters Club has invited all the province's fans to join them at Bective Rugby Club in Donnybrook, where they will converge from noon onwards.