Linfield, the "true blues" of Ulster soccer, have thrown open their doors to a "homeless" west Belfast camogie team.
The girls from St Mary's Training College had sought in vain for a floodlit training area on grass to sharpen up ahead of Saturday's Purcell Cup semi-final against college rivals Queen's.
Casement Park, the GAA's fine establishment in Andersonstown, could not accommodate them, so St Mary's manager Ms Mel O'Neill turned to rugby team Harlequins and north Belfast soccer stars Cliftonville for help. But all to no avail. With that, she plucked up courage and called David Jeffrey, manager of Linfield.
"We weren't delighted - we were privileged to help," he said and offered St Mary's what could be the ultimate in "away" venues. Midgley Park, in the shadow of Windsor Park is in the heart of the staunchly loyalist Village area, is not normally a Gaelic games stronghold. But St Mary's were offered every facility, marking a new era of détente between sporting codes.
"I rang David. I don't think he was shocked, but he was taken aback," said Mel. "He was delighted that I asked him." Mr Jeffrey said he would be cheering on St Mary's on Saturday and hoped that Linfield's admirable away record would rub off.
Referring to Northern Ireland's sporting apartheid past, he said his club needed credit for "massive moves" to include all sides in the community. "We're the most mixed team, " he said, referring to the seven Catholics on his panel. As for sharing facilities with St Mary's, he said: "Thank God to get the opportunity to get close to our friends who play camogie."