During that time it has just about seen it all, with one exception. No French team has won at Thomond in the Heineken Cup. Munster's bulging European collection includes five wins over Castres, five over Perpignan, three over Bourgoin, two against Clermont and two against Stade Francais.
They have also beaten Racing Metro, Toulon, Biarritz, Montauban and Colomiers - a grand total of 22 wins from 22 home ties against the French. Toulouse are not to be found on that list for the simple reason that they have somehow managed to give Thomond Park a wide berth, until now.
The quarter-final weekend starts with their overdue visit on Saturday afternoon, a weekend of four intriguing ties between the eight best teams in Europe, a weekend which raises the prospect of the three RaboDirect PRO12 survivors advancing to the semis later in the month.
The RaboDirect PRO 12 supplied three of the semi-finalists in 2009 (Cardiff Blues, Leinster, Munster) and again two seasons ago (Edinburgh, Leinster, Ulster). If Munster, Ulster and Leinster keep winning, Ireland will have three teams in the last four for the first time, a feat achieved by French clubs on four occasion and by their English counterparts once, seven seasons ago when Leicester, Northampton and Wasps made it to the penultimate stage.
Toulouse and Munster go back a very long way which makes it all the more surprising that the biggest of all French clubs have not been to Limerick before en route to their various European conquests. Saturday's is the fifth European duel between the super-heavyweights and the first in Ireland.
Their initial meeting turned out to be an embarrassingly one-sided affair, a 60-19 trouncing in Toulouse during the second season of European competition in November 1996, so long ago that the pool competition then had not evolved to home-and-away matches.
Munster closed the gap so rapidly that when they next ran into the mightiest of French clubs, under Mick Galwey's leadership in the semi-final at the Stade Chaban Delmas, they painted Bordeaux red.
Of Munster's starting XV that day only one, the evergreen Peter Stringer, is still going at the highest level, at Bath. Donnacha O'Callaghan, on the bench at Bordeaux, has also stood the test of time and by the time Munster returned to France for another semi-final against Toulouse in 2003, Paul O'Connell had joined him in the second row.
Toulouse, playing at home before 36,500 in the city's football stadium, squeezed through 13-12 thanks to Jean-Baptiste Elissalde's touchline conversion of a late try from another of this weekend's quarter-final cast - Frederic Michalak now at Toulon.
Munster got their own back for the narrowest of defeats on the biggest of occasions - the 2008 final before a packed Millennium Stadium in Cardiff. Denis Leamy's try and four Ronan O'Gara goals ensured the glittering prize for the second time in three seasons on the strength of a 16-13 win.
Toulouse reclaimed their position at the pinnacle of Europe two years later, winning the tournament for a record fourth time under the direction of their perennial coach, Guy Noves.
Their captain in Paris that afternoon, Thierry Dusautoir, is still recovering from the injury that made him a conspicuous absentee from the Six Nations but some of the old guard, notably Clement Poitrenaud, Vincent Clerc and the Argentinian Patricio Albacete, are still there.
On the domestic front this season, Toulouse have found recurring problems on the road - one win from eleven away matches in the Top 14, at Biarritz against the double Heineken Cup finalists who have long been condemned to relegation.
On the European front, in marked contrast, Toulouse have swept all before them on their travels - three wins out of three including Saracens at Wembley six months ago before a crowd of more than 60,000. They were in Ireland just before Christmas, rescuing their season with a bonus-point win in Galway six days after Connacht achieved their wonderful giant-killing act in Toulouse.
Munster approach their quarter-final fortified by a perfect home record this season - twelve wins out of twelve against English, French, Irish, Italian, Scottish and Welsh opponents. They will not need to be advised of Toulouse's capacity to raise their game for Europe because nowhere in France does the competition matter more than in the country's fourth largest city.
Munster had never lost a home quarter-final until two years ago when Ulster succeeded where Northampton, Ospreys, Perpignan, Biarritz and Stade Francais (twice) had all failed. Not for the first time, the Thomond Park factor ought to prove decisive.
The dust will only have begun to settle in Limerick when the best team not to have won the trophy, Clermont Auvergne, welcome Leicester to the ultimate fortress.
The Michelin Men have reeled off 74 consecutive home wins, most recently against the team that beat them in last year's Heineken final in Dublin, Toulon. At least, the Tigers will have the law of averages on their side.
Ulster, finalists against Leinster at Twickenham two years ago, are third in action, on Saturday night against Saracens before a record crowd at the enlarged Ravenhill. A home quarter-final, due reward for their double over Leicester in the pool competition, offers the prospect of avenging their defeat by Saracens at the same stage of the tournament last year.
Johann Muller's acknowledgement that Ulster had been 'outplayed' at Twickenham (27-16) ought to ensure that the northern province will have left nothing to chance. Sarries, out on their own at the top of the English Premiership after five straight wins, have been to Belfast twice on Heineken business and lost both.
Leinster's long list of battle honours in Europe include the distinction of beating Clermont in France, 19-15 in the semi-final at Bordeaux two years ago. Now they must remove another formidable French club, Toulon, on Sunday afternoon if they are to achieve the unique feat of four European trophies in four years - three Heinekens, one Amlin.
The quarter-final line-up: (kick-off times BST)
Munster v Toulouse, Thomond Park, Saturday April 5, kick-off 1.30pm
Munster quarter-finals: Played 14. Won 10, Lost 4.
Home quarter-finals:
April 8, 2012 : Ulster Lost 16-22
April 10, 2010: Northampton Won 33-19
April 12, 2009: Ospreys Won 43-9
April 1, 2006: Perpignan Won 19-10
April 10, 2004: Stade Francais Won 37-32
January 28, 2001: Biarritz Won 38-29
April 15, 2000: Stade Francais Won 27-10
Toulouse quarter-finals: Played 12, Won 8, Lost 4
Away quarter-finals:
April 7, 2012: Edinburgh Lost 14-19
April 20, 2011: Biarritz Won 27-20
April 11, 2009: Cardiff Blues Lost 6-9
December 11, 1998: Ulster Lost 13-15
November 16, 1996L Dax Won 26-18
Clermont Auvergne v Leicester, Stade Marcel Michelin, April 5, 2014, kick-off 4pm
Clermont quarter-finals: Played 4, Won 2, Lost 2.
Home quarter-finals:
April 6, 2013: Montpellier Won 36-14.
Leicester quarter-finals: Played 11, Won 7, Lost 4.
Away quarter-finals:
April 7, 2013: Toulon Lost 15-21.
April 9, 2011: Leinster Lost 10-17
April 2, 2005: Leinster Won 29-13
Ulster v Saracens, Ravenhill, April 5, 2014, kick-off 6.30pm
Ulster quarter-finals: Played 4, Won 2, Lost 2.
Home quarter-finals:
December 11, 1998: Toulouse Won 15-13.
Saracens quarter-finals: Played 3, Won 2, Lost 1.
Away quarter-finals:
None.
Toulon v Leinster, Stade Mayol, April 6, 2014. Kick-off 4.30pm
Toulon quarter-finals: Played 2, Won 1, Lost 1.
Home quarter-final:
April 7, 2013: Leicester. Won 21-15.
Leinster quarter-finals: Played 8, Won 5, Lost 3.
Away quarter-finals:
April 12, 2009: Harlequins. Won 6-5.
March 31, 2007: Wasps Lost 13-35.
January 27, 2002: Leicester Lost 18-29.
European Cup final appearances:
Toulouse 6 (Winners 4, runners-up 2)
Leicester Tigers 5 (Winners 2, runners-up 3)
Munster 4 (Winners 2, runners-up 2)
Leinster 3 (Winners 3)
Ulster 2 (Winners 1, runners-up 1)
Toulon 1 (Winners 1)
Clermont 1 (Runners-up 1)
Saracens 0
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