After last year's maiden voyage in Champions League waters, Shelbourne are eagerly looking forward to testing themselves again in Europe when they take on Glasgow City in Lithuania on Wednesday morning (kick-off 10am).
The carrot for Noel King’s side is that should they defeat the current Scottish league champions, they would face the winners of FC Gintra of Lithuania or Cardiff City (Wales) in the same venue.
Last year, Heather O’Reilly’s early goal secured a famous 1-0 win against Slovenian side ZNK Pomurje before Icelandic side Valur ended dreams of making it through to the group stages.
Shels face a difficult task to go further than last year, yet captain Pearl Slattery is embracing the challenge.
"Personally, I’ve always wanted to play a team from Scotland. I’m excited to see how we level up to them," she told RTÉ Sport.
"We know we can give them a good game if we’re all fit and healthy. We had a brilliant experience in Slovenia last year and I think represented the league really well and we aim to do that again. A lot of the girls would have been experiencing Champions League football for the first time last year, now it’s our second go at it, I think it will be massive for us."
Slattery believes the squad has now has the perfect balance of youth and experience and is eager to play European football.
Christie Gray, a Candian native who joined Shels before the start of the season, echoes her captain’s sentiments.
"Champions League is one of those things that I think when you’re little you dream about, you see on TV, and you don’t necessarily think it’s within reach. I’m beyond excited, what an opportunity to represent the club and Ireland, as a country, on one of the world’s biggest stages for women’s football."
The Shels management team travelled to Scotland to do their homework on Wednesday’s opponents, while there is personnel crossover between the sides.
Current Shelbourne players Keevan Keenan and Noelle Murray have played for Glasgow, while former Shels star Emily Whelan could lead the line for the Scottish side when the teams meet in Lithuania.
Shelbourne have returned from the mid-season break with a league win and an off weekend with the club receiving a bye in the first round of the FAI Cup.
The length of the summer break has been difficult for players to contend with and is a cause of frustration for the Shels manager.
"I look at the way the fixtures situation became because of the World Cup, because of various absences," King said.
"I can’t really understand what was going on, but it certainly affected everybody. Everybody I spoke to, every club in the league was really uncertain what was going on because we were training for nothing. Unfortunately, that’s how I’ll remember this season."
Slattery hasn’t featured for the women’s national team, but that isn’t a concern for someone who has devoted their life to the domestic game in Ireland.
"Everyone would love to play for their country but it’s not the be all and end all of everything. I always just played because I love the game. I’m 34 now, so you know you don’t have a long time left so I’m trying to cherish every moment now and enjoy every minute while I still can play. I’m still competing."
Asked if she sees herself retiring in the immediate future, Slattery defiantly proclaims: "No, I’m definitely not. I’m definitely not. You’ll have to drag me out of Tolka Park."
The game has evolved since Slattery began her football career.
"I nearly envy the young players coming into the game. The world is their oyster. I think back, the FAI Cup was played in local parks. A young girl now growing up can actually see now there’s plenty of opportunities there.
"When I was growing up, I didn’t even know there were selection squads, never mind Irish teams or stuff like that. You would give anything to be an 18,19,20-year-old player now coming into the game."
For players like Gray, who is in her early twenties, the next generation are taking nothing for granted.
"You never want to regret anything so give everything you have. If you can be honest with yourself and give your all for whatever opportunity you want to pursue, then you can look back and be proud of yourself and happy.
"Make sure you’re having fun, because if you’re not having fun, what’s the point?"
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