It was a far cry from Croker, but the Sarakun Soccer Stadium in Phuket proved the next best thing for dozens of Irish GAA players who converged on the Thai Island for the annual Asian Gaelic games finals yesterday.
Locals and tourists did not know what hit them as the idyllic sun-spot was invaded by Gaelic football teams from China, Dubai, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, Singapore, Thailand and Taiwan for this unique Irish sporting event.
Seven-a-side teams battled it out in the sweltering heat on a muddy pitch that was made almost unplayable by seasonal monsoon rain. "It is just as well that Roy Keane is not here as conditions are probably worse than in Saipan," joked one of the games organisers.
Special guests at the finals were the President, Mrs McAleese, and her husband, Dr Martin McAleese, who completed a unique hat-trick of GAA finals having attended the All-Ireland football and hurling finals in chillier Croke Park in recent weeks.
The finals are the largest Irish sporting event in the Far East, and the biggest GAA sporting competition outside of Ireland, with more than 200 Far East-based players participating in men's and ladies' competitions.
Apart from Irish expats, the teams also included players from Macedonia, Turkey, Australia, the US, Japan and Korea.
The winning team in the men's final was Korea, a remarkable achievement given that the team was formed only two months ago.
The Japanese team had been hoping to make it three in a row, having won in Phuket in 2000 and 2001.
Meanwhile, the Singapore team boasted some strong talent with former Kerry inter-county footballer and Munster final medal holder, Sean Burke, lining out for them. He was on the Kerry team that got to the All-Ireland semi-final in 1992.
The GAA president elect, Mr Sean Kelly, flew to Thailand to attend the finals. "I had no idea what to expect and am amazed at how big this event is. There is certainly a market to develop the game overseas. The international dimension of the GAA is growing in importance all the time and we must recognise this and help develop it further," he said.
He said he would raise the question of financial support for the games on his return to Dublin.
Organiser Peter Ryan said the games were becoming bigger and better every year. The first finals were played in Manila in the Philippines in 1996.
Mrs McAleese, on the last day of an official visit to Thailand, said she felt a particular pride to find a passion for our native games in a part of the world where the Irish were not found in large numbers.
"The fact that they are here tells me of men and women who have brought to far-off places a profound love of their native culture."
She presented the Derek Brady trophy to the winning men's team captain, Kevin Toibin, from Carrickmacross. The trophy, a crystal replica of the Sam Maguire, is dedicated to one of the event's founders who died tragically in a traffic accident in Taiwan in 1996. His family in Navan donated the trophy in his memory.
The captain of the winning ladies' team, Barbara Whooley from Glanmire, Co Cork, was also presented with a trophy by President McAleese. Proceeds from the games will be donated to three Thai-based charities.