When Ireland beat the West Indies sporting some of the most famous names in cricket history, little did the Irish cricket side know as they were led out by Malahide's Dougie Goodwin (left in photo) on Wednesday July 2, 1969 that they were about to etch a lasting position in the history books.
Six of the Windies' side that took the field at Sion Mills had played in the previous Lords Test match, which ended in a draw. Six of the Ireland side that day came from the South, with Pat Dineen representing Cork County.
Despite speculation over the years that Ireland had ensured that their visitors would be intoxicated the night before, Goodwin explains that that was an impossibility.
"They were very late getting in on the plane and they had a long drive from the airport. We might have had a few, but I don't think they had time to have a drink", he jokes.
"It was one of those days that happen once in a lifetime. Every ball that Alec O'Riordan and I seemed to bowl got a wicket. The wicket itself was wet and normally the touring teams batted first so that's what we allowed them to do when we won the toss. It followed on from there."
In difficult conditions the West Indians struggled to play their normal game. "I don't think they had any covers to protect the pitch from the rain. It was difficult to drive the ball, which was how they liked to play.
"Coming from Lords, that would have been a bit of a change. Every ball that was hit in the air found an Irish pair of hands.
"After the game there was a small reception held in the boardroom of the ground. We had to drive to Belfast that night and stayed in the Grosvenor Hotel. We had no drink there either so there wasn't that big a celebration as we had a two-day game ahead of us.
"The following morning when we were going down to breakfast and a few of the girls in reception said 'Oh there he is' after we were all over the newspapers. That was a brief brush with superstar life, I suppose!"
Goodwin, who would capture 115 wickets for Ireland at an average of 22.18, suggests that a lack of news on the day may well have been one of the main reasons why the win received so much coverage.
"The match started at 11 and I think the BBC were coming on the air at 12. When they saw what has happening they decided to come on the air a bit earlier. There has never been a day like it since, and there may never be one like it again."
Next day the London Times had a front-page column on the match, the Mirror a colour front-page picture of Goodwin and O'Riordan and Roy Ulyett drew a cartoon in the Express.
Front-page news in the Daily Mail, back page in the Newsletter, Evening Herald, and Evening Press among many others confirms the stature in which the feat was held.
"There was a good celebration after we drew the two-day game in Ormeau, Belfast. We held on for a draw and so we won the series."
"We played Scotland a while later and one of the guys told me that when he heard the score at 12 for 9, he presumed Ireland were put in to bat."
Rattling out a Windies side for 25 in 25.5 overs, with the likes of Clive Lloyd in their side sparked 34 years of banter, but the friendships remain.
"We all met up for the 20 years anniversary which the late David Pigot organised in Sutton Castle. Nearly all the team were present. There was a wonderful blend of guys from the North and South. We enjoyed wins over Scotland and the MCC over the years.
"Later that season, Warwickshire came over to play a game in Munster and I was invited to play. I walked into a bookie's shop in Kinsale and who did I meet only Lance Gibbs- one of the West Indies' finest ever spin bowlers and a gentleman.
"About 20 years later I met Clive Lloyd and we remembered the occasion over a drink and a joke. Our team was successful because we had two guys in Gerry Duffy and Alec O'Riordan who though picked for their bowling, the latter taking 4-18, could have batted from 1 to 11.
"That meant that we had no tail and even our number 11 Ossie Colhoun could hold an end. There's a great bond with the lads who played together, but the last thing we'd do is talk about our own personal achievements that day.
"My abiding memory was of Alec saying to me 'Don't take yourself off no matter what happens. Don't let up'. I suppose you could say he was right."
1969 was the first big achievement by an Irish cricket team. As the current generation look forward to qualification for the World Cup in the West Indies in 2007, they could do a lot worse than look back in time for inspiration.
As the old saying goes, sometimes in life you need to get a sense of the past before you can get a clear view of the future.
IRELAND v WEST INDIES
July 2, 1969
Sion Mills, Co Tyrone
Ireland won by 9 wickets
WEST INDIES
GS Camacho c Dineen b Goodwin 1 c Dineen b Goodwin 1
MC Carew c Hughes b O'Riordan 0 c Pigot b Duffy 25
MLC Foster run out 2 c Pigot b Goodwin 0
*BF Butcher c Duffy b O'Riordan 2 c Waters b Duffy 50
CH Lloyd c Waters b Goodwin 1 not out 0
CL Walcott c Anderson b O'Riordan 6 not out 0
JN Shepherd c Duffy b Goodwin 0
+TM Findlay c Waters b Goodwin 0
P Roberts c Colhoun b O'Riordan 0
GC Shillingford not out 9
PD Blair b Goodwin 3
Extras (b 1) 1 (lb 2) 2
Total 25 (4 wkts) 78
FOW: 1-1; 2-1; 3-3; 4-6; 5-6; 1-1; 2-1; 3-73; 4-78
6-8; 7-12; 8-12; 9-12; 10-25
O M R W O M R W
O'Riordan 13 8 18 4 6 1 21 0
Goodwin 12.5 8 6 5 2 1 1 2
Hughes 7 4 10 0
Duffy 12 8 12 2
Anderson 7 1 32 0
IRELAND
DR Pigot c Camacho b Shillingford 37
RHC Waters c Findlay b Blair 2
MS Reith lbw b Shepherd 10
J Harrison lbw b Shepherd 0
IJ Anderson c Shepherd b Roberts 7
PJ Dineen b Shepherd 0
AJ O'Riordan c & b Carew 35
GA Duffy not out 15
LP Hughes c sub b Carew 13
*DE Goodwin
+OD Colhoun
Extras (lb 2, nb 4) 6
Total (8 wkts dec) 125
FOW: 1-19; 2-30; 3-34; 4-51; 5-55;
6-69; 7-103; 8-125
Blair 8 4 14 1
Shillingford 7 2 19 1
Shepherd 13 4 20 3
Roberts 16 3 43 1
Carew 3.2 0 23 2
Toss: West Indies
Umpires: A Tichett; M Stott Captain *; Wicketkeeper +