Aaron Hill is set for the biggest match of his career on Tuesday as he looks to qualify for the World Snooker Championships, which start at the weekend.
The Crucible Theatre is the Mecca of the game, hosting the blue riband event since 1977, but we haven't seen a player from the Republic play there since 2017 when Fergal O'Brien lost 10-2 in the first round to eventual winner Mark Selby.
Hill has already beaten former world semi-finalist Anthony McGill, as well as whitewashing Haris Tahir, to get to this stage.
It's the furthest the Cork man has ever managed to get in the qualifiers but it all comes down to Tuesday's best of 19 clash at the English Institute of Sport in Sheffield.
Dave Gilbert stands in his way and is himself looking to reach the World Championships for the eleventh time overall, and his seventh year in a row.
The Englishman has twice reached the semi-finals, including last year when he was beaten 18-11 by Kyren Wilson, who went on to lift the trophy the following Monday evening.
He has the edge on Hill in the psychological battle stakes, having beaten him in the only tournament match between the pair; 4-0 in a qualifier for the 2022 British Open.
But this is a longer form match which, if both players play to their potential, should ebb and flow and could go all the way.
The 17-day event has produced memorable moments over the years, but 1982, 1985 and 1997 hold particular resonance for Irish fans. In those years, Belfast's Alex Higgins, Coalisland's Dennis Taylor and Ranelagh's Ken Doherty went on to win the tournament and be crowned world champion.
Hill has already beaten the likes of Mark Selby, Judd Trump and of course Ronnie O'Sullivan in his time on the pro tour and, while the World Championships is a different event altogether, he has shown he has the potential to beat the best.
Making it to the Crucible would be the ultimate proof that he deserves to mix it with the world's elite.
