Messages coming from the rest of the country told of lashing rain and battening down the hatches, but there were queues for 99s at the Killarney Racecourse & Ross Golf Course and nothing but smiling faces from the 4,000 or so people attending this year's Rally Masters.
It was easily sold out with such a small capacity, but there was no sense of crowding, making the day all the more enjoyable.
Saying that, we'd have gladly fought for a vantage point if we had to, as it was quite the spectacle.
Piloted by a veritable roll call of who's who in the Irish rallying scene, past and present, was the most incredible collection of famous and revered rally cars.
We're talking MG 6R4s, E30 BMW M3s, a couple of beautiful Ford RS200s, a few brutal Audi Sport Quattros, a sprinkling of Escort RS Cosworths, Mantas and Sierras, proper Prodrive-prepped Subarus, loads of examples of the Ford Focus with actual competition heritage and one very unique Group B Nissan 240RS
That's not a complete list by any means (and make sure you swipe through the image gallery at the top) but seeing these rally icons lined up in the makeshift paddock before the action kicked off was a scene to remember.
And members of the public could get up close and personal with the cars and drivers, too. We spotted Billy Coleman, Austin MacHale, Andrew Nesbitt and Patrick Snijers to name but a few.
Another famous name was on hand to knowledgeably commentate on proceedings as they happened. Pamela Ballantine of RPM fame stood on the "finish ramp” to interview the drivers as they finished their laps.
Oh that's right, did I not mention these cars were here to be driven, not just ogled?
From a spectator point of view, it's a shame the stage created for the event around the perimeter of the usual horse-racing track was only partially accessible and visible, and the drivers had to drive with a degree of circumspection, too, as the track wasn't wide.
Even so, they put on a good show, and it was quite a treat to see and hear such exalted machinery at full pelt.
The variety of noises was striking, too. From the raw, bestial roar of the V6 in the middle of the Metro 6R4 to the ear-splitting anti-lag popping and banging from the exhausts of various Escort RS Cosworths and Subaru Imprezas. The crowd was transfixed.
My favourites were the E30 M3s with their melodic S14 engines and upright design straight out of the 1980s. Billy Coleman took one of them for a blast, complete with a modern blue-and-white-with-gold-wheels livery harking back to his Rothmans-sponsored heyday. He had a go in a similarly adorned 6R4 for the hell of it too - and he wasn't holding back.
The MacHale family were clearly enjoying themselves in Austin's 2006 Ford Focus WRC, looking very modern next to the old Group B stars.
Indeed, the newer generation of Focus rally car makes the ex-Colin McRae/Nicky Grist model of 2001 look positively ordinary, but the latter has some real history behind it and was a regular at the Goodwood Festival of Speed - before being recently acquired by an Irish owner.
The more modern cars may have technically been the fastest, but there's no doubt the crowd pleasers were the older rear-drive racers, some of the drivers using every mm of limited space available on the exit of the final corner to entertain us - and themselves no doubt.
The organisers tried to keep speeds sensible by installing a series of big-bale chicanes, but these things are like a red rag to a bull for rally drivers and they were attacked with zeal, despite the high value of many of the cars on hand.
Some of these beauties haven't been driven in anger in years, as evidenced by some worrying looking exhaust smoke in a few cases, and one Subaru engine fire causing some consternation.
But there were very few breakdowns or incidents of note, just a long day of rallying bliss. There were even more rally cars to drool over in the lunchbreak, parked on the grass next to a couple of lovingly restored Ford Transit service vans.
Fantastically, the whole event was in aid of LauraLynn Children's Hospice and the Jack and Jill Foundation. Well done to the organiser, Killarney & District Motor Club.
A bit of rain eventually fell on Kerry that day, but it hadn't a hope of dampening spirits. Make sure you get your tickets early if the event is repeated in 2026.
Big thanks to Seamus Counihan of irishrallycalendar.com for the images.