The presidential election has finally sparked into life with two firm candidates confirmed this week and more certain to follow.
Voting is expected to take place in late October but while some contenders may try to keep a low profile, campaign strategies are definitely being honed behind the scenes.
Those brave enough to enter the fray know that every past utterance will be analysed as previous brutal contests have shown.
So how might the election be pitched and what pitfalls may lie ahead?
Fine Gael
Former EU Commissioner and MEP Mairead McGuinness is Fine Gael's hope of winning the office that has always eluded the party.
But she has told members that she will not set out her vision for the presidency until after her candidacy is ratified in early September.
This seems to be a clear bid to ensure that the Meath woman will seek to avoid the public spotlight as much as possible over the Summer.
She is expected to spend that time travelling around the country directly canvassing for votes.
Ms McGuinness certainly has solid political experience of high office but her senior positions in the EU mean that she will be painted as the establishment candidate.
And that can be both a help and a hindrance in the current political climate.
As Vice-President of the European Parliament, she was viewed as close to Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
This means she will be scrutinised on her views on Gaza and other areas including defence.
And she has already been the focus of a news story on her expenses - an early taster of what's to come for all candidates as their records are poured over in micro detail.
One senior figure central to the Fine Gael presidential campaign privately dismissed the suggestion that the election could be moved to September in order to separate it from a tough Budget.
They argued that there was no way that was in Fianna Fáil's interests regardless of how it approaches the contest.
Minister for Agriculture Martin Heydon will be the director of elections.
Independent Catherine Connolly
Independent TD Catherine Connolly is the left-wing candidate in this race after easily securing the backing of 20 Oireachtas members.
One of those backing the Galway West TD this week analysed her challenge as avoiding being portrayed as too far left.
"She needs to be seen as not too radically left, not in the mode of People Before Profit. That is key."
Facing her first media outing, Ms Connolly seemed well prepared for some of the obvious questions on her suitability to be president.
These included her views on Syria, the Ukraine war and whether she is a "continuity" candidate for outgoing President Michael D Higgins.
She will encounter these issues repeatedly over the next few months.
What is not clear yet is how she will mobilise a national campaign, something she acknowledged as a big step.
Ms Connolly said she had declined donations for the past two general elections and had instead funded her own campaign.
That will not be possible for a ground war to be waged in 43 constituencies with a potential cost estimated at anywhere between €250,000 and €500,000.
She described it as "a big shift for me" involving a national campaign with a "serious" amount of money.
Ms Connolly already has a website looking for crowd funded small donations but the thornier question of how much her political backers might punt up has not been settled.
Discussions are ongoing apparently, with Ms Connolly saying parties were "open to providing funds" but no figures have been arrived at.
Sinn Féin
There is only one putative candidate who has first name recognition and a national profile the envy of other contenders.
Mary Lou McDonald totally upset the predictions when she reversed her previous outright dismissal that she could be the Sinn Féin candidate.
Her entry into the race would absolutely upend the calculus as she would be far more than a flag bearer for her party.
Many senior figures in other parties believe that with the luck of a good campaign, she could stand a very strong chance of securing the prize of the Áras.
A strand of thinking goes that non-Sinn Féin voters who have never backed the party in general or local elections could well lend their votes to support a run for a mostly ceremonial office.
People who may have concerns about Sinn Féin's financial policies and have never backed the party might be attracted to it for the first time.
And Ms McDonald has the advantage of being blooded already as a party leader of seven years.
For now the mantra remains that "all options are on the table" with a promise of a decision by early next month.
But she has been clear that defence and neutrality issues will be central to Sinn Féin's framing of the debate and of course, a united Ireland.
Fianna Fáil
Fianna Fáil remains coy about its intentions although the signals from the leadership are that its preference is to sit out a contest that it does not believe it can win.
Former ministers Mary Hanafin and Peter Power as well as former taoiseach Bertie Ahern do not appear to have support at this stage.
For now, the party may not decide until September when the field is much clearer.
But many believe that if Sinn Féin runs a serious candidate with the profile of Mary Lou McDonald, then Fianna Fáil will be unable to avoid running its own person.
And that individual would need to have a decent profile and background to be a serious proposition.
Many names did the rounds in Leinster House this week including footballers Niall Quinn and Packie Bonner as well as former Minister for Justice Máire Geoghegan-Quinn.
Independents
Many political watchers expect there will be more independents in the race. In 2018, there were six candidates despite the fact that the incumbent was running again. And in 2011, seven names made it onto the ballot paper.
TDs and Senators at Leinster House this week said businessman Declan Ganley had been furiously ringing around trying to drum up support.
Aontú leader Peadar Tóibín has also contacted Independent Ireland and some independent members seeking to build consensus around nominating one candidate whose values agree with those of his party.
But many independents are apparently telling prospective candidates that they will wait until somebody has a decent level of support before publicly pledging to back them.
There is also the nomination route of securing the backing of four councils. But if the three largest parties all have their own candidates, this option may be very limited.
With three months to go until the vote, it's all to play for in this election. And previous campaigns have demonstrated there's likely to be some major upsets along the way.
