It was a fitting opening to the new Cork Athletic Grounds and, more importantly, the victory gave Mahony an All-Ireland winners’ medal.
After a stern test Cork won the game by 1-6 to 1-4 and Mahony added a second Munster winners’ medal to his collection.
He played with his local club in Youghal and won All-Ireland titles with Cork as part of the three-in-a-row team in the 1970s.
Mahony's granddaughter, Mary O'Leary, won All Ireland medals in 1978, 1980, 1982 (when her last-gasp point secured victory for Cork) and 1983.
He played rugby with Munster, London Irish, Montpellier and earned 24 caps for Ireland during his career, before retiring from the sport in 2017.