THE HALLOWED halls of Trinity College rang with a more raucous beat than usual over the past few days.
Nothing to do with boisterous Americans trying to catch a glimpse of The Book of Kells or students who really should have departed to the Hamptons or wherever the J1 visa takes them this weather.
No, the noise came from the cricket square, one that has seen some of the game's greatest names - think Grace and Sobers - stride over its 22 yards in a storied history that runs back almost 200 years.
The cheering was for the opposition though, as Ireland took on its Bangladeshi counterparts in a three-day fixture on a ground that has been graced by 300-plus Test cricketers.
Mohammed Mostafa and Syed Mustafiz Rahman attended all three days, loudly cheering on their fellow-countrymen's every run and wicket. The pair are involved in the Bangladesh Association of Ireland, a group set up in response to the growing ex-pat community that has moved to Ireland.
Rahman, the association's general secretary, was one of the original wave of immigrants from the subcontinent, coming here 19 years ago.
He has watched as the numbers have grown from when he first came to Dublin. "When I arrived it was very small, I can tell you. When you came to the city centre you would see very few people together. But if you go to Grafton or Henry Street now you meet loads of Bangladeshi people," he remarks.
Like many of his contemporaries, Rahman worked in the catering industry. "A lot of people don't know that more than 90 per cent of the Indian restaurants in Dublin are owned and staffed by Bangladeshis."
It's not only catering now though. There's people working in the banks, in the IT sector, people working in the colleges and universities. There's a lot of students and teachers as well.
"It's a great thing that since we formed the Bangladeshi Association in February 2007, we now have a better idea of how many people are here and from what professions. All over Ireland we think there's between seven and eight thousand Bangladeshis now," he adds.
Mostafa, the association's president, believes it won't be long before the new generation of Bangladeshis are representing Ireland - and not just in cricket.
"It's not too far away. In another five years, I think you will see a lot of young Bangladeshi people in different teams," he says.
One of these, Sujon Alamgir, spent yesterday with bat and ball in hand as he cheered on Bangladesh. It wasn't willow but ash he was wielding - and the result of the cricket was a diplomatic draw.
"I love to see Bangladesh play cricket and the Bangladesh flag flying here, but I like hurling more," admitted the ever-smiling Lucan teenager who was part of the Dublin minor hurling team that made it to last year's All -Ireland quarter-finals.
A speedy forward who adores DJ Carey, Alamgir dreams of making it on to the senior team and playing in front of Hill 16. Last night, he was due to turn out for Lucan Sarsfields in a minor game, but before that there was plenty of time to roar on the Tigers.
"Shabash Bangladesh, shabash."