As Crumlin - and the rest of the country - build up towards the showdown between Conor McGregor and Floyd Mayweather, Saturday FAI Cup tie between the local side and League of Ireland champions Dundalk provided an attractive undercard with the latter running out 3-1 winners.
The bounty on offer to Martin Loughran's Leinster Senior League outfit was a place in the last eight of the competition - and the headlines for claiming a huge scalp - but they were floored by Sean Hoare's first goal for Dundalk, a thunderous, spectacular drive that helped the visitors secure a place in Monday's quarter-final draw.
Aiming to reach the Aviva Stadium for the third season on the trot, Dundalk manager Stephen Kenny named a side overflowing with attacking players. Patrick McEleney, David McMillan, Michael Duffy and Dylan Connolly all started with Conor Clifford, who played with Crumlin United as a teenager, amongst those on the bench.
The hosts, who dumped Wexford Youths out in the previous round, included former Shelbourne, Shamrock Rovers and Dundalk player Ger Rowe in their starting XI.
An enjoyable first half kept the big crowd in attendance entertained. As expected, Dundalk penned Crumlin back for lengthy periods with McEleney and Connolly finding plenty of joy on both flanks. The former Bray Wanderers star left Crumlin left back Blair Mandangu in his wake early on only to be hacked down by Dean Hurley. It looked like a penalty but referee Paul Tuite decided the foul took place right outside the penalty area.
Loughran's side weathered the storm and they had a big chance to pull in front after 12 minutes. Jake Donnelly's pull back from the left fell invitingly for Rowe but he diverted it wide of the target.
Mandangu went into Tuite's notebook for a foul on Connolly in the 18th minute and the Lilywhites broke the deadlock from the subsequent free. Michael Duffy floated the ball in from the right and McMillan slammed his header past Quinn.
Crumlin drew level three minutes later. Dean Hurley was upended by Chris Shields, 20 yards out, and Donnelly cracked a brilliant free kick past Gary Rogers.
Dundalk enjoyed lengthy bouts of possession after that and they edged back in front through an unlikely source in the 31st minute.
Hoare was afforded the time to venture forward and he sent an unstoppable right-footed drive into the top corner of Quinn's net to give Kenny's men the lead at the interval.
Chris Shields scored twice when the sides met in the competition last season and he should have had his name on the scoresheet again in the 55th minute. A well worked move from right to left ended with the ball at Shane Grimes' feet in the Crumlin penalty area. His cut back screamed out to be finished but the Dundalk captain could only send his effort wide from 20 yards.
Grimes was involved at the other end six minutes later, getting back to nick the ball off the toes of Conor Murphy just when it looked as though the Crumlin striker was ready to pull the trigger with Rogers off his line. The natives screamed for a penalty but their appeals fell on deaf ears.
Dundalk went up the other end and the inventive Duffy picked out Tommy Stewart in a pocket of space but he couldn't keep his effort on target. Clifford was introduced in the 69th minute and he tested Quinn with a straightforward effort before Hoare headed a Duffy corner over the top as the game entered the final stages.
McMillan had a chance to put the tie to bed when McEleney was upended by Noel Murray in the 88th minute but Quinn, who saved two penalties in the win over Wexford, tipped the striker's effort onto the post. However, substitute Steven Kinsella wrapped it up in stoppage time with a tidy volley at the back post from another Duffy delivery.
CRUMLIN UNITED: Michael Quinn; Alan Barrett, Gary Murphy, Noel Murray, Blair Mandangu (Daniel McGuinness 80); Conor Murphy, Craig Walsh, David Vickery, Dean Hurley (Sam Simpson 61); Jake Donnelly (Lee Dixon 90), Ger Rowe.
DUNDALK: Gary Rogers; Sean Gannon, Sean Hoare, Niclas Vemmelund, Shane Grimes;
Chris Shields; Dylan Connolly (Steven Kinsella 72), Thomas Stewart (Conor Clifford 69), Patrick McEleney (Carlton Ubaezuono 90), Michael Duffy; David McMillan.
REFEREE: Paul Tuite.
