Carlow captain John Murphy said his team's successful league campaign proved that last season's effort was no flash in the pan.
Carlow, recently promoted to Division 3, open their championship campaign against Louth in Portlaoise this weekend.
In 2017, under energetic manager Turlough O'Brien and playing to a highly defensive system, Carlow ventured deeper into championship summer than they had for many years.
They followed that up with a rare promotion this spring, winning six games from seven before falling to Laois in the Croke Park Division 4 decider.
By contrast, Louth travelled in the other direction, slipping out of Division 2 and losing all seven matches.
Speaking on Morning Ireland on RTÉ Radio 1, Murphy said that Carlow had been inconsistent in the past but the signs are that has been rectified in the past year.
"The most promising thing that we took from the league is that last year wasn't just a flash in the pan. We were able to bring that consistency into the league.
"In previous leagues, we were able to beat some good teams but then we'd let ourselves down. We'd win three or four games but then we'd lose two. We were finishing third and fourth in the league over the last few seasons. It was so pleasing to play in the league and get promoted."
The biggest setback Carlow have suffered occurred lately off the field when star Brendan Murphy announced he was heading to the US in the summer.
"Brendan is an exceptional player on his day," says Murphy.
"There's no point in denying that it is a disappointment. But if he'd gone two or three years ago, he'd have been a massive. loss. I don't think he's as big a loss to the team the way we're set up and the way other players are stepping forward.
"It probably isn't as big a loss as it wold have been in the prior years - but, still a big loss."
Despite this, Murphy says there has still been an unusual buzz surrounding this squad as they embark on their 2018 campaign.
"You go anywhere in town and bump into people, all they want to talk about is football and Carlow football. And tell you where you went wrong.
"You definitely see it with young lads, even my own two nephews are gone football-mad in the last 12 months. So, it's having a knock-on effect."
