When you've presented one of the longest-running chat shows in history, you learn to take media interest in your stride. So yesterday was just another day for Mr Justice Flood, even though the line-up on his ever-popular "The Flood Tribunal" included the broadcaster Gay Byrne.
Admittedly, and despite his three years in the hot seat, the judge is still a novice compared with Mr Byrne. Which may explain why he put his star guest on first instead of holding him till the end to milk the ratings, the way Gaybo used to do when his Late Late Show had lesbian nuns or something similar on the bill.
Gay's memories of his dalliance with Century Radio were certainly fascinating, but the affair was not exactly a scandal and, as we all knew beforehand, it was never consummated.
His account of the courtship took only a few minutes, so that the rest of the day at the tribunal was like the Century experience in microcosm. Once the promise of Gaybo had gone, yesterday as in 1989, all that was left was a succession of bankers fretting over the station's depressing figures.
There was nothing depressing about the figure on the bank draft Oliver Barry brought to Gay's house on a Saturday in December 1988. Gay had always remembered the event happening in summertime, he said, so the heat from the envelope must have been intense. He never opened it, in any case. Assuming it to be the £1 million for a three-year contract that had been discussed, he told his suitor to take it away, saying: "I couldn't sleep with it in the house."
Mr Barry slept with it instead, and three days later Gay gave him the answer that may have caused sleepless nights thereafter. The Century directors had told their star that even in the worst-case scenario - "if the wheels came off" - the station would turn a profit. But when Gaybo said No, the engine fell out, and after that the wheels were no use.
More than a decade on, Byrne's imminent debut in the Irish version of a certain quiz show hung heavily over proceedings at Dublin Castle, where there was a bad Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? pun for everyone in the audience.
But if he does need any advice on the new show, Mr Justice Flood is the man to ask. They don't dim the lights or play tense music at the tribunal, but no one who was there will ever forget the moment the judge asked Frank Dunlop: Is that your final answer? before allowing him to reflect overnight on a better one.
Gaybo didn't have to reflect on any on his yesterday and afterwards described the experience as "painless". As he left, he was asked if he had any regrets about not taking the Century offer. There were four possible answers to this: (a) No (b) You must be joking (c) Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha! and (d) All of the above. Mr Byrne chose (a) and left it at that.