Heroes were plentiful as history was made in the Cake Tin. When it came down to it, when the contest and the series was in the melting pot, the man in the blue scrum cap delivered.
Forget the cynics' talk of 'friendlies', this was one of the great team performances by a team representing this country. If St Andrews is the home of golf, New Zealand is the home of rugby, it's where the people live and breathe the sport.
To achieve a series win there on the back of the Eden Park set-back that kicked it off is a phenomenal story.
Johnny Sexton, who blew out the candles on his 37th birthday cake five days ago, led with a calm, calculated ferocity. A player for the ages who joined that exclusive 1,000 Test points club this morning.
Tadhg Furlong looked banged up heading into this three Test series with New Zealand but here he was a man inspired, even taking over the rousing team talk duties from Sexton at one stage in that second half as Ireland dug in and dug their way out as the expected All Blacks onslaught finally arrived.
READ MORE: Ireland 32 New Zealand 22: Sparkling first half display the platform for historic series victory
Peter O'Mahony cried tears of relief and joy as the clock ticked into the final minute and the result no longer in doubt.
As usual, the Munster skipper put his body in the line and played through the pain, both in the series-changing second Test in Dunedin last week as Ireland put their first Test disappointment behind them to win on New Zealand soil for the first time and again in the decider.
There were so many. Josh van der Flier, franking his magnificent transformation into the world's best no.7 with the opening try, setting Ireland up for a hat-trick of dominant first quarters against the All Blacks.
Caelan Doris and Dan Sheehan, two more Leinster forwards who stepped black-shirted tacklers at almost every opportunity. Sheehan in particular has stepped up over these three weeks after Ronan Kelleher was ruled out.
One of many plusses for All Blacks executioner Andy Farrell.
Tellingly, this time, Ireland's form stuck to half-time, and it amounted to one of the best halves of rugby that an Ireland team has ever produced.
However this time it was the hosts who shone after the break and quickly reduced a barely believable 22-3 lead for Ireland to just five points.
James Lowe stepped up to a level he failed to find in the earlier Tests. Hugo Keenan was safe as houses but he also, fearlessly, brought the game to the home side.
Robbie Henshaw tackled like his life depended on it and although Joey Carbery again had to live off scraps as a late replacement for Sexton, he came up with a big interception as time was running out for the frantic All Blacks.
It was a collective effort that included the midweek team delivering a morale boosting victory over the Maori All Blacks in the build-up.
And it simply had to be a collective effort, to do what many nations have failed to do and what many will probably now never do, with summer Tours such as this one expected to be consigned to the scrapheap in the near future.
Still the man in the blue cap deserves special mention.
It didn't look good when the All Blacks push finally arrived and their post-interval tries came in quick succession. In other eras there would have been a certainty about what happened next.
But Tadhg Beirne epitomises the belief and street-smarts nature that now exists in this Ireland team.
Out of action since the end of the Six Nations, the master poacher came straight back in for this series and, having got up a head of steam, he saved the best for last.
The Eadestown man was everywhere at crucial junctures in the second half.
A ruck steal here, a penalty win there - he was immense to the cause when Ireland found themselves fighting to escape the fire, he refused to bend to history and the unyielding trend towards an Irish capitulation.
A game for the ages from a man who worked tirelessly to salvage his career by moving to Cardiff before coming home, not to Leinster but to Munster.
In mitigation, this wasn't a vintage All Blacks team - and, for sure, it is not a vintage All Blacks coaching set-up, and changes could well be coming as Joe Schmidt gets his foot in the door.
But that doesn't take away from the achievement as Ireland became only the fifth team ever to win a series in New Zealand. It is one this group of players and their coaching staff will be forever remembered for.
As O'Mahony said later, it paves the way for kids to want to play for Ireland and to emulate such triumphs. It is another box ticked for this team.
Of course the biggest one remains unticked and Farrell and his players will have to raise their levels again in France in just over a year's time if they are to become the first Ireland team to win a World Cup quarter-final.
The hosts or the All Blacks will be waiting in the long grass. and providing a formidable obstacle to Ireland's hopes.
Questions remain over depth in certain areas, even if the much improved second game against the Maori All Blacks showed there is quality below the frontline.
Crucially, there are enough people involved in this Ireland set-up - Farrell included - to remember the spectacular rise and fall under Schmidt in 2018.
All efforts will now turn to preventing a repeat in 2023.
READ NEXT:
Open cut deeper for Padraig Harrington after blowing fast start at St Andrews
No escaping the Peas for Shelbourne's prodigal star Megan Smyth-Lynch
GAA fans all saying the same thing after tickets for All-Ireland hurling final put on general sale
Connolly feels right at home with Dundalk - but admits his days at Oriel could soon be numbered
Get the latest sports headlines straight to your inbox by signing up for free email alerts
