Last November, a few days before the FAI Women's Cup final, Shelbourne manager Noel King sat down with reporters to look ahead to the game at Tallaght Stadium.
His team had just pipped Peamount United to the title on a remarkable final day, with Shels beating Wexford Youths 3-2 while Peamount blew a 2-0 lead at home to Galway United, eventually losing 5-2.
Nobody saw it coming; and King had no intention of dampening the celebrations as his squad prepared for a cup decider against Wexford Youths.
"I'd like to see you try settle it down!" he laughed at the time. "The place is going mad. Mad. I'm still buzzing, the house is still buzzing, everyone's in a different place. It was a hard-won and miraculous victory and success and we have to enjoy that."
That weekend, an impressive Wexford Youths burst Shels' bubble as a 3-1 win denied King the double.
It was a performance that further strengthened the feeling that the league is getting stronger and more competitive all the time. There are at least three viable contenders to be champions.
The healthy competition is further reflected by the international-quality players who continue to ply their trade on these shores.
In Vera Pauw's most recent Republic of Ireland squad Abbie Larkin, Jess Ziu (both Shels), Eve Bandana (DLR Waves) and Savannah McCarthy (Galway) all made the cut, while others who cut their teeth in the division before moving across the water were present too: Ciara Grant (Rangers), Jamie Finn (Birmingham City), Isibeal Atkinson (Celtic) and Leanne Kiernan (Liverpool).
Among the targets laid out in the FAI's recent strategic plan was the establishment of a second tier in the Women's National League and making Tallaght a sellout for the FAI Cup final.
These are commendable ambitions, but the reality right now is players in Ireland's domestic league don't get paid, resources are tight and the best players will continue to leave if the right opportunity arises.
Long-term change is required if the standard if this league is to stay on an upward curve.
"We need to stick together and keep going the way we are going, seeing it as a compliment that [players] are leaving but also being ready for the fact that they leave those gaps in the clubs [for others to come through]," Pauw said last month.
It's a league of rising stars and veteran performers.
And this year, we could be treated to another wide open title race that goes down to the wire.
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The Contenders
In the last 11 years, Wexford Youths (4), Shelbourne (2) and Peamount (3) have carved up the league title between them. Raheny United, who won back-to-back crowns in 2013 and 2014, briefly loosened their hold on it but that trio have been consistently very strong.
They certainly won't be falling away in 2022.
Peamount will be desperate to atone for their final-day disaster and they remain a formidable outfit. Their core of seasoned performers - Aine O'Gorman, Stephanie Roche, Karen Duggan - remains, with a lot of excellent young talent providing the Peas with fresh energy.
Shels lost Grant to Rangers but they've brought in Megan Smyth-Lynch, Gemma Quinn and Amanda McQuillan while King is likely to have Saoirse Noonan for the first half of the campaign before she eventually goes to Durham. She had actually signed for the Championship club in January but an unfortunate knee injury means she'll now rehab in Ireland and be available for Shels until the start of the 2022/23 season in England.
Wexford Youths were left with a nagging frustration at the tail end of last season that they weren't the ones going for the title when they played Shelbourne on the final day of the campaign, having coughed up some sloppy points.
Youths ultimately finished third, six points off the champions, but the continued development of Ellen Molloy - coupled with Kylie Murphy's prowess in front of goal - makes them a threat.
Of the chasing pack DLR Waves will be worth keeping an eye on. They took fourth last season and did some good early business in the off-season, bringing in defender Lynn Craven from Wexford Youths and Shelbourne midfielder Mia Dodd.
Jess Gleeson - brother of Waterford hurler Austin - is a big influence for Waves too; she had a good season last year after a period of injury frustration and her reappearance for 2022 is a boost.
The Newbies
Say hello to Sligo Rovers.
The Bit O'Red embark on their maiden campaign in the league and they are a welcome addition. This football-mad town has a great tradition of getting behind their team so the women's side should enjoy a good backing in their first season.
"It's absolutely fantastic to see that Sligo Rovers have a team," Lisa Fallon told the RTÉ Soccer Podcast.
"I think you can't be considered a top club in this country if you do not have a women's team in the Women's National League. If we are serious about football in this country, every top League of Ireland club must have a senior women's team and we have to start to look at even making it semi-professional at the start and then using that as the foothold."
Republic of Ireland international Emma Hansberry became their first signing in January. The former Wexford Youths midfielder is a classy operator - and a Sligo native.
Attacker Emma Doherty and Gemma McGuinness are good prospects while ex-Athlone Town player Amy Hyndman brings a bit more league experience to the squad.
Upwardly mobile
The rest of the division will all, obviously, be trying to build on what they achieved in 2021.
Treaty United finished bottom of the league but they have a new manager, Don O'Riordan, and plenty of new faces: Trish Fennelly-Hunt, Aoife Mulkearn, Niamh O'Byrne, Shannen O’Donovan and Emma Deegan have all arrived. Treaty will also be blooding a few faces from their talented Under-19s panel.
Cork City finished above Treaty. There hasn't been too much upheaval in the squad over the winter, though Aoife Cronin's arrival from Treaty will help.
Athlone Town managed to lure Gillian Keenan from Treaty United and that looks a good signing. It's a big year too for their Republic of Ireland Under-19s Melissa O’Kane and Emily Corbet, who both have a lot of potential.
Bohemians finished ninth in their first ever season in 2020 and then sixth last year so any further improvement would be a major source of encouragement. The forward pairing of Sinead Taylor and Erica Burke could be potent.
Galway have, interestingly, brought in six players from the USA. How they settle remains to be seen but they come into a dressing room that possesses a lot of experience and quality. Savannah McCarthy, Emma Starr, Julie-Ann Russell and Lynsey McKey all remain to drive their charge.
OPENING WEEKEND FIXTURES
SATURDAY 5 MARCH
(All games live on LOITV)
DLR Waves v Treaty United, UCD Bowl, 2pm
Shelbourne v Bohemians, Tolka Park, 2pm
Peamount v Sligo Rovers, PRL Park, 5pm
Cork City v Galway United, Turner's Cross, 5pm
Athlone Town v Wexford Youths, Athlone Town Stadium, 7pm
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