The crowds: It was The K Club's Colosseum. The snaking walkway from the putting green, through the car park eventually opened out to the first tee on the Palmer course, an arena enclosed on three sides by stands that climbed high into a leaden Kildare skyline. Forget the torrential rain, the pageantry, colour and noise was never going to be compromised.

The individual cries of goodwill that propelled the European golfers on the first part of their journey from the practice facilities gradually increased in intensity and volume as voices blended into one plaintive cry, but nothing could have prepared the golfers for the wall of noise that assailed them on turning that final corner.

Some blinked, some preened, others smiled shyly but every single European player - the Americans were also fulsome in their tributes - struggled to articulate the reception they received. Céad Míle Fáilte . . . and then some.

It started as it tends to do in these circumstances with Colin Montgomerie, Europe's totem. The ubiquitous shouts of 'Monty, Monty' initially rained down but then the fans sought a different way in which to serenade the Scot. To the air of La donna é mobile from Rigoletto, they sang as one, C-o-l-i-n M-o-n-t-g-o-m-e-r-i-e (repeat ad nauseam), a tune that accompanied soccer player Paolo Di Canio in his career.

To understand what it meant to the 43-year-old was captured in a gesture. As he strode from the tee box he turned to salute the crowd, arm raised, smile as broad as the Clyde.

It was a highbrow opening but the supporters were nothing if not versatile, vacillating between soccer-style chants of players surnames, to Olé, Olé, Olé, for the Spanish pair of Jose Maria Olazabal and Sergio Garcia and Molly Malone for Padraig Harrington and Paul McGinley.

The latter smiled: "The first tee is something that I will never forget." Chicago-based Englishman Luke Donald is a favourite of the Illinois crowds who are prone to howling 'Looooooke' in approbation. It was a theme picked up by the supporters at The K Club, starting on that first tee: Kildare's version of Star Wars and young Skywalker acquitted himself brilliantly.

He admitted: "That reception on the first tee was unbelievable. I think it made us all shake. The support was phenomenal all the way around."

The context of Darren Clarke's participation was emotive from the first tee shot on the Friday morning and it was therefore no surprise that his arrival to the first tee was greeted by a standing ovation and deafening chants. His opponent Zach Johnson would later remark: "Yeah, that was very inspiring for him, I would imagine.

"It was a very warm welcome. I expected it to be loud, but it was like a stadium crowd of 80,000 people amassed around one tee box. It was pretty remarkable."

Paul Casey has enjoyed a superb Ryder Cup, delivering on the potential, not just this week but in winning at Wentworth last week. He was another to feed off the sheer emotion of the support. "I have never seen a first tee like it. It was like a football ground.

"Great fans, a lot of chanting going on, but they're very quiet when you go to play. (There was) a lot of support for the Americans out there and they looked like they were having a great time. It's just been a wonderful atmosphere, very friendly. They clap no matter who makes a birdie or who makes a putt. That's the way it should be."

Even the commentators were moved to remark on the audience participation, Sky analyst Butch Harmon admitting: "They are the greatest fans I have ever seen at an event."

European captain Ian Woosnam had the final word. "It was an unbelievable atmosphere. It's never been as good as this before."

Tears, beers and cheers. It captured the essence of the 36th Ryder Cup.