It was probably easier for a 1950s Catholic to get into Trinity College than for a member of the public during the time of Covid 19.
Trinity College's coronavirus regulations are tough. You can't access the grounds unless your name is on the security guard's list at the Lincoln Gate.
But 11 of the Dalkey Archive had the golden ticket. Nine of them even turned up on time for Sunday's 30-over-a-side match against Dublin University Museum Players.
Marc Murphy turned up 25 minutes after the scheduled meet-up time, bustling past the Pav like a barrister doubled-booked for courtrooms on opposite wings of The Four Courts.
David Irwin was even later, 20 minutes past the scheduled start time of 1pm, with an excuse that involved jammed stopcocks. Or possibly cocked stopjams. Or stopped jamcocks.
Dalkey won the toss and opted to field. When they trooped off, 30 overs later, the Dalkey players congratulated ourselves on an excellent bowling and fielding display.
Nick Royle took two wickets, Gareth Wyatt one and Hari Gupta accounted for Museum's opener Darren Martin, fresh from an unbeaten 74 in his previous outing against the Law Library.
Unfortunately, Archive's excellent bowling was surpassed by Museum's magnificent batting, which included chanceless 30s from Arvind and Gary Baugh, who once opened the batting for Pembroke in a Senior Cup final.
Museum finished on 194-4 from 30 overs, a target Hari insisted was gettable.
Hari is one of life's great optimists, a bringer of sunshine on rainy days.
It wasn't gettable.
The pitch seemed to play true and the outfield seemed to run fast when Museum batted.
A 20-minute tea break turned the wicket into a sticky-toffee pudding, the outfield a marshy peat bog.
How else to explain 72 all out, and a 122-run defeat?
Extras top scored with 42.
Marc Murphy alone thrived with the bat, scoring an excellent, unbeaten 14 down the order.
But no-one could stay with him, with many left regretting their heaves across the line and rash swishes outside off stump.
[Written by: Nick Royle]