Everybody is here. The great and the good, the small and the modest, the chancers and the conmen, the prim and the pious. Somewhere among them is the Taoiseach and most of the Cabinet. Getting to Ballybrit is a trial. The traffic is obscene unless you can afford to fly.
Helicopters criss-cross the sky all morning.
It takes just three minutes to deliver the occupants from the city centre to the course. Down below, the plebs line up in Eyre Square for the bus. You think they would know by now. The buses may be uncomfortable but they're a great place for chat. People exchange tips, compare fortunes and offer advice on the best places to eat and, mainly, drink.