It was a day when so much changed and yet it was all about returning to the once familiar. The chance to - in the words of the Taoiseach - "be ourselves again." It was a day when Micheál Martin spoke about the possibility of drinking a pint in a relaxed atmosphere while not looking over his shoulder.
Talk, too, of a weekend trip to Killarney to watch Kerry versus Cork. Handshakes are also permitted again, if people are comfortable with it.
It was all many miles away from the bleak days that have just passed. The swift nature of the change is at times almost difficult to comprehend, given the persistent visibility of very dark clouds for so long.
Yet it was pointed out that it is not an end at all - just a new phase where life can resume along the lines of spring 2020.