The first round action got underway on Friday night but the prospect for potential 'giant-killings' continues into Saturday and Sunday as the opening salvos of the Sports Direct FAI Cup unfold across the weekend.
The all-Premier Division fixtures will of course dominate the landscape however and it's the two sides that met in the 2019 and 2020 deciders who will look to avoid an early exit on Sunday at Oriel Park.
This clash comes as Dundalk and Shamrock Rovers are in the midst of their European adventures.
The Lilywhites overcame Bruno Magpies of Gibraltar on Thursday to reach the second qualifying round of the Europa Conference League and the Hoops will also play at that same stage of the competition, against Hungarian champions Ferencvaros, having been knocked out of the Champions League at the first hurdle by Breidablik in Iceland two days earlier.
Dundalk got the better of Stephen Bradley's side in their last league meeting on 30 June and will look to pile the pressure on a Rovers side whose form has been faltering slightly in recent weeks despite being top of the Premier Division.
The goals have dried up in their last four fixtures across domestic and European competition, with the only goal in that run being the penalty converted by Graham Burke in Iceland on Tuesday.
Dundalk have only lost once - against Bohemians when they succumbed to a late comeback at Dalymount Park - since tasting defeat to the Hoops at Tallaght Stadium back on 2 June and will hope to build on their recent uptick in results.
Conan Byrne feels there are upsets on the cards as the #FAICup first round gets underway across this weekend #RTESoccerPodcast #loi
— RTÉ Soccer (@RTEsoccer) July 21, 2023
📺 Full podcast: https://t.co/VlVputz38r
📲 Listen back: https://t.co/xt82hda3pN pic.twitter.com/TMeeds6MOj
Reigning cup winners Derry City and their predecessors as holders, St Patrick's Athletic, are also coming off the back of Thursday night Europa nights and both face First Division opposition on Sunday.
The Candystripes begin their defence against Athlone Town at the Ryan McBride Brandywell Stadium, while the Saints make the journey to the other half of the Midlands derby when they take on Longford Town at Bishopsgate.
Derry went through to the next round of Conference League on Thursday after edging out Faroe Islands' HB Torshavn but the domestic form of Ruaidhri Higgins' team remains underwhelming, hampering their efforts to make the most of Shamrock Rovers' inconsistency.
Jon Daly will hope Saints' albeit entertaining loss to Luxembourg's F91 Dudelange is just a blip after good recent form in the league and the Inchicore side will be keen to avoid last season's cup fate when Waterford eliminated the then holders in the first round.
Waterford, who are setting the pace in the First Division race for the automatic promotion place, will aim to avoid a giant-killing as they go to Tipperary South District League outfit St Michael's in Tipperary while also on Saturday there is another Munster derby - this time First Division vs Premier - when Treaty United tackle the challenge of a visiting Cork City side battling to avoid the top flight's relegation play-off spot.
Galway United, well clear of Waterford in the second tier table, meet the Leinster Senior League's Bangor Celtic and Bray Wanderers head to Cockhill Celtic of Donegal.
Elsewhere, opportunity knocks for a number of non-league sides who avoided League of Ireland opposition in the draw.
On Saturday, Roy Keane's boyhood club Rockmount, recent winners of the FAI Intermediate Cup, are at Wexford's Gorey Rangers while St Patrick's CY of Ringsend visit Lucan United. Portlaoise and Skerries Town also meet in a 2pm kick-off.
Check out all the fixtures and latest results from the FAI Cup first round here.
Listen to the RTÉ Soccer podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.
Watch every game from the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup live on RTÉ, with comprehensive coverage of the Republic of Ireland across television, radio and digital
