Before the game, a carnival atmosphere prevailed at the famous old Belfast venue, with stiltwalkers, fire-eaters and jugglers greeting spectators as they filed through the turnstiles.
At this time of year, walking from one to the other will probably involve negotiating four jugglers, two unicyclists, a retro-clad maiden doing light operatics and a local who's trying make a quid from her world-record number of body-piercings.