WOULD that all Mick McCarthy's days were as pleasant as this. A 3-0 win over Celtic and a sum, estimated at close on £300,000, grossed by his testimonial weekend was calculated to restore a smile to the manager's face at the end of a wind tossed game at Lansdowne Road.

Ireland goals are rare enough these days to warrant outbursts of patriotic pride, and how the crowd wallowed in the reflected glory as Niall Quinn, David Connolly and Terry Phelan, in turn, hit the target to complete an emphatic success.

The reality, of course, was that this was less a game than an occasion, a stirring coming together of the clans that transcended mere matters of athleticism and the perennial desire to embarrass the opposition.

Nothing less could have coaxed 40,069 outdoors on an uncertain afternoon when the skies always threatened rain and frequently delivered. Yet, the elements couldn't dampen the enthusiasm of the 8,000 Celtic supporters who, at times, switched allegiance with an ease which, in other circumstances, might have been regarded as treasonable.

Only a couple of red blooded tackles by Liam Daish endangered the historic links before the combative Coventry player finally buried cherished principles to fall in, grudgingly, with the script.

It was that kind of a match, and if Irish fans were able to indulge themselves in three finely taken goals, the Celtic contingent could savour the sight of manager Tommy Burns back on active duty for the first time since leaving Kilmarnock three seasons ago.

Burns, a lot more deliberate these days, but still capable of revisiting his youth on occasions, soldiered on until his legs gave out in the 41st minute and was then promptly replaced by his assistant, Billy Stark.

This was a pure imitation of the team which gave such persistent chase to Rangers in the Scottish championship - even the garb was changed - but this ought not disguise the odd pocket of merit in the home team.

And in this context nothing was more reassuring than the goal with which young David Connolly signalled his arrival as a second half replacement for Niall Quinn. The cover may have been suspect, but the execution was perfect as the Watford player made contact at the near post with Dave Savage's cross.

That was the kind of finish which Ireland teams have lacked over the last couple of seasons and it was skilful enough to suggest that Connolly may yet have a role to play in the forthcoming six game Republic of Ireland programme.

McCarthy's tolerance for the ball played laterally out of defence was again in evidence. The new gospel will please some but the conversion, I suspect, has been undertaken with a passion which at times borders on the suicidal. What Jack Charlton, seated in the stand, thought of it all remains unstated, but at times he may well have been tempted to scream.

Yet Daish, Paul McGrath, Alan Kernaghan and later, Ken Cunningham, played with some composure, and it was until the closing minutes when McCarthy, to the biggest cheer of the day, made his entrance for the last 15 minutes that the Scots began to get at the heart of the defence.

Andy Townsend also had a fine game in midfield and Alan McLoughlin celebrated his first start in almost two years with a performance which confirmed his rating as an exceptional striker of the ball.

There were cheers, too, ford Niall Quinn, who ended his goal famine in the green shirt with a good strike in the 21st minute. Tony Cascarino, of the shaven bead, laid Terry Phelan's cross into the path of the Manchester City player and the shot from 14 yards beat Packie Bonner at the far post.

Quinn ought to have had a second when McLoughlin's cross invited the simple finish. At the other end, when Alan Kelly departed to be replaced by Shay Given at half time he had been asked to make only one save of substance.

Appropriately, that came from Andreas Thom, by some way Celtic's most creative player in a team which relied heavily on some forthright defence by John Hughes and Malky McKay in the pivotal positions.

McLoughlin might have got his name on the scoresheet after an excellent piece of invention by Townsend, but with Connolly's goal the home team put themselves in a secure position.

Given earned his keep with a couple of excellent saves from Chris Hay and Marc Anthony in the closing minutes, before Phelan, cutting in from the left, deceived Bonner's replacement, Stuart Kerr with a curling shot to complete the scoring.