Wildfires, inflation and travel chaos have been a feature of life in our continent of late but long live the days of European ties like this – and all the noise you'd expect from the locals – on a balmy night by the Camac.
This Europa Conference League second qualifying round tie was absorbing from the off. Mirlind Daku, on loan from Osijek, had the Slovenians in front before a Chris Forrester sizzler just shy of the hour-mark left the tie very much alive for Saints, especially as they were the better team – even if they finished without Mark Doyle, who saw red in injury time.
It's delicately poised prior to next Thursday's deciding leg. Saints can believe that they have every chance; they should have won this game and have a proud history this century of big performances on the road, even if this Pat's side is littered with players only getting to know each other.
Little escaping the grim narrative in Irish football over the past week, and change, before tonight's action: four games in Europe, two involving Shamrock Rovers, none involving a goal from our European representatives.
Perhaps more thought-provoking than the collective woe of Rovers' struggles, Sligo's freeze against a part-time Welsh mob and Derry's limp exit to Riga was the spate of really talented players, by League of Ireland standards, exiting for the third tier in England.
Dawson Devoy and ex-Saint Darragh Burns joined MK Dons; Danny Mandroiu (Lincoln), Promise Omochere (Fleetwood) and Ed McGinty (Oxford) all accepted the lure too. Their loss is the league's loss – and near-blanket paltry transfer fees have wound people up in the Irish game.
Such has been the upheaval in Inchicore, Chris Forrester alone from the team that started the FAI Cup final in November started here.
This issue will not go away but it emphasises the financial importance of European progress to clubs like St Patrick's. And, true to another narrative, they started with two recent signings from overseas – Harry Brockbank and Thijs Timmermans – with Barry Cotter thrown immediately into the fray after his loan deal was agreed with Shamrock Rovers.
NŠ Mura play in a ground even smaller than Richmond Park but they came into this tie as favourites to qualify. With Saints' league form patchy, it was hard to know what to expect. Mura had beaten Tottenham Hotspur in European combat recently so Saints could only hope that was grossly flattering.
Among those in attendance were Keith Andrews and FAI CEO Jonathan Hill, as well as a pocket of Slovenian fans stationed to the far side of the stand.
And Cotter almost scored with what must have been his first touch for the club: he stole in from the right but, with his left foot, was badly off target from close range after excellent wing play from Mark Doyle.
There was Slovenian angst too, as Klemen Pucko needlessly knocked Forrester over, and picked up a yellow. Not five minutes had elapsed when Saints' other wing-back, Anto Breslin, arrowed a cracking drive that forced Matko Obradović to bat away.
It was a shade surprising Rovers let a player of Cotter's quality join a rival but their loss is the Saints' gain; a lovely nutmeg ten minutes in created another opportunity for Tim Clancy's men; it faded out of memory.
The visitors took the lead out of nothing on 28 minutes. Brockbank made a hash of his control, allowing Daku to sneak in, round Joe Anang and slot home.
Mark Doyle had an excellent first half for Saints and was causing problems for Mura but the equaliser, like an opener, proved elusive.
Right at the death, the impressive Joe Redmond headed wide from a corner, and it was borderline criminal that Saints were losing going into half-time. Little wonder the locals cheered them into the dressing rooms as if they were in front.
Brockbank might have had nightmares about his error but he nearly scored at the same end early in the second half, glancing a header wide, as Saints continued to press. Mura attacked immediately but Daku blazed over, Tom Grivosti making a late challenge; there was healthy respect between the pair.
Saints' equaliser had the old ground erupt on 59 minutes. Eoin Doyle held up the ball well for Forrester, who – just recently having gotten up after a knock to great applause – hooked in on the volley on his left-foot.
Doyle's hold-up play was becoming a theme; he fed Breslin, who found an empty Shed End.
Mura remained a threat. Nik Lorbek hit the outside of the post after Anang had parried an effort from substitute Dardan Shabanhaxjaj.
Eoin Doyle made way for fans' favourite Tunde Owolabi with around ten to go, the locals' reception as much appreciation for Doyle's efforts as excitement as to what Owolabi might do.
There is no fans' favourite to rival that of Forrester, though, and an amazing run from the Dubliner with six minutes to go saw him stay on his feet when he might have gone down and find his left-footed shot saved from close range.
It was breathless stuff from a player who had his time in Britain, one Pat's and indeed League of Ireland fans are lucky to be able to watch.
The home fans certainly took to Cotter too: he got a standing ovation on his departure, replaced by Sam Curtis, who seems certain to leave this league sooner or later too. Pat's might need both of them in Slovenia; Clancy will look around the dressing room there and see a plethora of players who are more than up to the challenge of this level.
One player who won't figure is Mark Doyle, who was adjudged by the linesman to have struck Pucko in injury time. Pucko gestured to Forrester that he had been on the receiving end of an elbow.
St Patrick's Athletic: Anang; Grivosti, Redmond, Brockbank; Breslin, O'Reilly, Timmermans (Lennon 64), Forrester, Cotter (Curtis 88); E Doyle (Owolabi 81), M Doyle.
NŠ Mura: Obradović; Beganović, Cipot, Morris, Pucko; Kous (Ouro 85), Maruško (Cipot 65), Lorbek, Bobičanec (Klepač 90); Daku, Petković (Shabanhaxjaj 65).
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