After losing both the championship and league deciders in 2022, Cork are back to take another swing at national silverware in this weekend's Very Camogie Division 1A final.
Standing opposite them once again are Galway, twice All-Ireland champions in the last four years, and who edged them in last year's league final.
Camogie has, for the past decade, been a private fiefdom for the Cork-Galway-Kilkenny triumvirate. One of the trio has won every All-Ireland title since 2013 and all bar four league titles in the 21st century.
The 2023 league offered tentative evidence of a break-up of the cartel, with All-Ireland champions Kilkenny slumping to defeat to Clare, while Galway were turned over by Tipperary.
Come league final day in HQ, it's two members of the old guard duelling once again.
"We're looking forward to it," says Cork captain Amy O'Connor.
"Galway are a really good team, very tactically aware. Every time we play them, they pose questions to us that we need to go and find the answers to. We enjoy playing against them because it's a huge challenge. Hopefully, this week we can get people into Croke Park and it'll be an entertaining game.
"We beat Kilkenny in the league and Galway pipped us. There's never anything between the teams. Which is obviously brilliant for camogie. It's always a one or two point game, which is not good for us in a way, your heart, it'd be in your mouth!"
Cork manager Matthew Twomey has a new-look coaching team behind him, with former Dublin and Clare hurling coach Liam Cronin joining the set-up, alongside Wesley O'Brien on the strength and conditioning brief.
However, it is a departed coach who still attracts the most attention. Davy Fitzgerald was part of the Cork camogie management team last year, as they almost re-claimed the O'Duffy Cup.
O'Connor admits she is well used to fielding questions about the Waterford manager.
"Davy comes up every time I speak to someone actually. People ask me what my thoughts and opinions on Davy are. Which are actually very positive.
"I got on really well with Davy Fitz. I really enjoyed working with him, very positive character. From the moment I met him, he really instilled the belief in me, which is something I really appreciate.
"He's the kind of person, if I was stuck for something in the morning or I was in a bit of trouble, and I rang him, I know he'd help.
"There was lots of new things from Davy last year. We learned a pile. We set up in a different way. He was obviously coming from his hurling background. It was definitely new and different to what we've always had, but positive."
As for last year's gut-wrenching All-Ireland final defeat, O'Connor breezily admits it's a long way in the rear-view mirror.
In an exciting, see-sawing encounter, Cork had nudged two points in front with three minutes remaining until substitute Sophie O'Dwyer fired home an opportunistic and somewhat bizarre winning goal for the Cats, handing them their second All-Ireland title in three years.
"It was disappointing, especially the way we lost it. We probably didn't get off to the best start. And an unlucky goal, I would say, at the end.
"Not to take away from Kilkenny, they were fully deserving of their win. It was kinda disappointing the way we lost alright. But yeah, we just have to get on with it. New year, new team.
"Some new coaches coming in with us. But we just have to get over it now and figure out why the game went the way it did and see if we can rectify it."
The long-mooted merger of the GAA, the Camogie Association and the LGFA under one umbrella is still in the discussion stage, with negotiations being chaired by former President Mary McAleese.
Former Cork great Gemma O'Connor spoke passionately in favour of the merger at the recent minor championship launch and accused the Camogie Association of being disconnected with their membership over the recent All-Stars tour farrago - the inaugural tour concludes at the start of the senior championship, prompting seven Cork players to withdraw.
As regards the merger, O'Connor - Amy, that is - says it can't happen soon enough.
"I think it'll be very positive for the GAA, LGFA and Camogie. Please God, it's something that'll come sooner rather than later.
"It's something that camogie players in general are very excited about. Hopefully that can progress over the next few months and years.
"Funding is the biggest thing. We're very lucky that we have sponsorships with the likes of Very and so on. But ultimately, funding will improve. The GPA have put huge work into that as well. In general, I think it'll benefit everyone."
O'Connor was awake in the small hours, watching the Republic of Ireland women's soccer team push the world champions USA in St Louis on Wednesday morning.
Had she pursued a different path, she could have been in amongst them. A former underage international, O'Connor was part of the Republic of Ireland squad that reached the Under-19 European Championship finals back in 2014, with Katie McCabe among her team-mates.
The Knocknaheeny native had made her championship debut for Cork that year, eventually opting out of a European qualifier against Sweden to play that year's All-Ireland semi-final.
O'Connor, who picked up four All-Ireland titles thus far in her career in 2014, '15, '17 and '18, says she has no regrets about the path she pursued but remains an ardent fan of the Ireland team, and tips them to perform better than expected in their historic first World Cup.
"No regrets. I watch a lot of their games. Because so much more of them are being televised now, it's brilliant. You can really keep in tune with what's going on in the women's soccer world. Even last year, I probably watched every single game of the Euros.
"You're back at England, Holland, Spain and all these players you would have played against growing up. What they've gone on to do is phenomenal.
"The Irish team, they're going to do better than people will think at the World Cup. They have some real quality players. They'll enjoy the underdog tag, I think. I hope it goes well for them. I think it will."
Watch the Camogie League finals, Kerry v Meath (12pm) and Cork v Galway (1.50pm) on Sunday on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player
Very Camogie Leagues Division 1A and Division 2A Finalists; Cork's Amy O’Connor this week launched the Very Camogie League Finals taking place this Sunday 16th April in Croke Park. Very are calling on the nation to go to the finals in Croke Park and support the players by purchasing tickets here: Very National Camogie League Finals | GAA (ticketmaster.com).
