Dolly Parton was the surprise guest on Tuesday's episode of Liveline, as she promoted her upcoming album Rockstar and her new book 'Behind the Seams: My Life in Rhinestones' - and she shared her memories of that famous night she spent in Páidí Ó Sé's pub many years ago.
An icon of country music around the world, Parton's holiday to rural Ireland in 1990 saw her end up in the pub owned by the Kerry football legend in Ventry in County Kerry.
As could only happen in Ireland, Ó Sé and the pub's patrons managed to get a song out of Parton, and the video footage captured of her flawless performance of 'Coat of Many Colours' has gone down in Irish folklore.
Appearing on Liveline on RTÉ Radio One on Tuesday, Parton shared her memories of the night in Ventry, and revealed that she still has the Kerry jersey gifted to her by Páidí Ó Sé hanging in her home.
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Dolly Parton shares poignant memories of Páidí Ó Sé
Páidí Ó Sé remains a hero of Kerry football. An eight-time winner of Sam Maguire as a player, before going on to achieve even more as a manager, winning two more All-Ireland championships with Kerry and a Leinster championship with Westmeath in 2004.
His pub in Ventry is today a site of pilgrimage for any famous visitor to the south-west of Ireland, with framed photos of anyone and everyone on the walls, including Tom Cruise.
One of Ó Sé's most famous visitors was American country singer Dolly Parton, and perhaps the most treasured footage ever captured in the pub remains on YouTube to this day.
Speaking to Katie Hannon on Tuesday's 'Liveline,' Dolly Parton reacted to this year's inaugural "DollyDay" - an event in Listowel in June in an attempt to break the world record for most people in one place wearing head-to-toe Dolly Parton outfits.
Of course, with Kerry a place close to her heart, it didn't take long before the conversation turned to that famous night in 1990, and Parton would share some poignant memories of her time in Ventry with Páidí Ó Sé.
She revealed how much the titular coat of many colours - made for her by her mother - had meant to her, before sharing her memories of her encounter with one of Ireland's greatest sporting heroes:
I remember that very well. I was with my friend Walter Hagan, who was Irish. We had gone over on a trip, and every corner had a pub! I said, 'I'm gonna go in this one.'
We just had a ball that night! He asked me if I'd sing and, of course, I did.
He might want to know that I have that jersey hanging in a frame in my basement, which is my recreation room, where I have my games and all that. Everybody asks about that big green jersey there.
I'm very proud of that. I kept it, and when I brought it home and it's been there ever since.
I take pride in it. I do.
Kerry legend Ó Sé died suddenly in 2012, and his absence continues to be felt far and wide from his home county.
One of the musicians who played with Parton in Ventry, Steve Cooney, would also appear on Liveline on Tuesday, and shared his memories of the impromptu performance - an extraordinary off-the-cuff experience.
A clip of the song was played before the chat with Cooney, who said he was touched to hear Ó Sé's voice introducing the famed country singer's performance:
It's quite emotional hearing Páidí...to hear the excitement in the air. People were so excited that she was there.
You couldn't let the moment slip.
Séamus Begley and I used to play every Sunday in Páidí Ó Sé's pub, and we got a message that Dolly was coming to our gig the next Sunday.
The message was, 'Ms Parton wants a table near the band, but not too near the band.'
We always had a good crowd in Páidí's, but this night it was full to overflowing of course, and everyone done up to the nines.
After the show, I went across to her and asked if she'd sing the song, and you couldn't let that moment slip. If you hadn't have asked her, you'd have kicked yourself.
She said, 'I don't think you'd know any of my music,' and I said, 'I know Coat of Many Colours,' which wasn't exactly true...it was lodged in the back of my head somewhere. I hoped I could bluff it!
If you're ever in and around the Ventry area, this author can vouch for the worthiness of a stop in Páidí Ó Sé's pub - but don't expect that you'll be able to do anywhere near as good a job on karaoke as Dolly did that night in 1990.
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