Dundalk manager Stephen Kenny admitted that the journey back to County Louth would have been unbearable without being in possession of the FAI Cup.
The Lilywhites had lost the last two finals at the Aviva Stadium and despite winning the league, Kenny revealed that he was dreading defeat against Cork City.
However, the double was achieved thanks to a Patrick McEleney headed winner late in the game to secure a 2-1 victory over the Turner’s Cross outfit.
"It was great feeling to win it. It was a late enough winner. We have won and lost here and when you lose, it is a lonely place.
"So when you are pushing, pushing and then to unlock the door, the euphoric nature of it is really special.
"The players deserve huge credit. They held their nerve when things weren’t really going for us and kept pushing and in the end, won the game."
But Dundalk did not have it all their own way as Cork matched the league champions throughout and made it very difficult for the Lilywhites to find their rhythm, especially in the first half
"Cork make you earn everything, they don’t give you anything. They closed us down in the first half and we found it difficult to be cohesive with our passing movements. We were going for killer passes.
"But in the second half we were a different proposition."
Dundalk did dominate throughout that second period but the manager admitted that his side made it hard for themselves in the manner that they conceded an equaliser, just two minutes after Sean Hoare had handed the Lilywhites a first-half lead.
"It’s a cardinal sin. We never do that, because we understand the importance of when we score. The occasion got the better of us. You probably don’t concede that in Oriel Park.
"Players were celebrating with their family and stuff that you wouldn’t normally do. We switched off and we got punished but thankfully…"
What’s rare is wonderful, and the manager got real pleasure to see Patrick McEleney arrive to score the winner, with only his second ever headed goal.
"Patrick is not noted for his heading. But he timed his run brilliantly and he kept it on target and thankfully it went in.
"There was no space for Patrick [in the first half] and what we had to do was, when Jamie McGrath came on, he did not play as an orthodox midfielder, he floated and ended up in the number 10 position.
"And that occupied other players, so Patrick got freer and we dominated for periods and we deserved it."
McGrath was only on the pitch for 15 minutes when he proved instrumental in the winning goal as he dispossessed Shane Griffin in the build-up to the McEleney strike.
But Kenny was not claiming it to be a managerial masterstroke.
"I wouldn’t be claiming massive credit for the substitution, I made one last year and we lost," joked Kenny.
So now it is time to celebrate for the league and cup winners who will enjoy the festivities at the team hotel this evening before attending a civic reception in the town centre on Monday.
"It would have been difficult to face going up the road without it to be honest. I couldn’t even bear thinking about it.
"The council have booked the town square for a reception tomorrow night and it would have been a real damp squib if we had not won it.
"But now the atmosphere will be electric."
