Louth's run to a first All-Ireland SFC quarter-final has been one of the stories so far from this year's championship.
Then again, should we be surprised? A rise up the league rankings from Division 4 to 2 and then being in contention on the last day in 2023 to reach the top tier is just part of what the Wee County have achieved.
Successive Leinster final appearances against Dublin also, with this year's renewal a lot tighter than most expected.
And then came the Sam Maguire race. The hurdle that was Kerry was a bit too high, but beating Meath, drawing with Monaghan and then last Sunday accounting for Cork has Louth in the last eight, there amongst the big boys. Ger Brennan carrying on the good work started by Mickey Harte.
Donegal lie in wait at GAA HQ on Sunday, a novel pairing.
The win over Cork saw defender Craig Lennon named player of the match, another accolade to add to the many picked up by the forward-turned-defender.
When asked by the assembled media to reflect on the campaign so far ahead of the clash with Jim McGuinness' side, the St Mochta's clubman accentuated the feel-good factor reverberating around the squad.
"I love summer football, love championship football. It's hard to put into words – the lads around you just make you better," he said.
"When you go up to Darver (Louth's Centre of Excellence) two, three times a week the lads improve you each session."
From his current positioning on the half-back line, Lennon has been on the end of moves that saw him bag important goals against Meath and Monaghan. An advocate then for the modern-day view that every position is interchangeable, and a player whose confidence is sky high.
"Thinking back to my goal against Monaghan, the first goal against Meath, it’s just pure creativity; the goal against Monaghan, the inter-linking from 'Kiki’ [Ciaran Keenan] and Peter [Lynch], they just force you into positions and I’ve been fortunate enough to get on the end of them.
"I can appreciate I’m probably playing the best I have for Louth and hopefully it continues on.
"I’d have been a forward all my life, from underage. But I’d be confident in myself, no matter where I play, and Ger and the management team give you confidence, no matter where they put you.
"We’re all football players and I’d be a strong advocate that you should be able to play any position. Just try to do your best job wherever you go.
"I have to give credit, I’ve been blessed with my coaches all my life, from underage, going back to Darren McMahon with the club here, a clubmate of mine now. He had us from 14, 15, drilled into our heads, about running hard off the shoulder, stuff like that. I definitely count my lucky stars with the coaches I’ve had.
"I’ve always been quick enough, and then just constant training. We do so many attacking combinations and drills – it might seem ‘off the cuff’ in games but we practice that every week in training. It’s confidence from training, I suppose.
"I also think confidence comes from a wee bit of success and thank God we've had a few big wins this year, so we can grow in confidence and grow in belief going into each game. The more confidence we have, the better we play, and hopefully that’s enough to get the job done."
It was Lennon who won the late free, converted by Sam Mulroy, that saw Louth edge the Rebels in Inniskeen and with it a place in the last eight.
On The Sunday Game, comparisons were made with Lee Keegan, while the former Mayo star himself said of Lennon: "He reminds me of a couple of young wing backs, playing with Colm Boyle and these lads."
Acknowledging the comparisons, while not letting it play on his mind too much, Lennon added: "One or two had it mentioned to me but I try not to pay too much notice. Lee Keegan is one of the best to ever play the game in my eyes.
"He's probably Mayo’s best player, I think. In my opinion, he was unbelievable so it is definitely nice. It's an honour to be mentioned in the same breath as him.
"There's so many good attacking wing-backs, even Ryan McHugh there last weekend, Jack McCaffrey, Colm Boyle, Lee Keegan. All them lads are huge and they're GAA icons. So yeah, it's nice to be mentioned in the same breath as them, I suppose.
"But I try to avoid that stuff. I feel the second I start thinking about comparisons, Lee Keegan and that kind of stuff, is probably the second I take the eye off the ball. So I try to avoid it, but obviously I can appreciate it. It's nice to be mentioned.
"But I've only been doing it for one or two years. I have to keep at it. There's loads left in me. And when I'm retired, maybe, I can appreciate being mentioned with them."
Watch The Saturday Game with highlights of the All-Ireland Football Championship quarter-finals on Saturday from 10.35pm on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player
Watch the All-Ireland Football Championship quarter-finals, Donegal v Louth (1.15pm) and Kerry v Derry (3.15pm), on Sunday from 12.45pm on RTÉ One and RTÉ Player, follow a live blog on rte.ie/sport and the RTÉ News app and listen to commentary on Sunday Sport on RTÉ Radio 1
