Katie McCabe said she wants to see the Republic of Ireland women's team play at the Aviva Stadium on a regular basis ahead of a historic first women's international at the venue.
The Girls in Green take on Northern Ireland in their opening UEFA Nations League clash on Saturday, with over 38,000 tickets sold for the derby.
A cloud has hung over the team since the messy departure of Vera Pauw last month, with Diane Caldwell's claims that the players achieved World Cup qualification "in spite" of the manager pouring fresh petrol onto the embers of a simmering fallout.
But tomorrow finally marks the beginning of a new era.
Interim boss Eileen Gleeson is at the helm as an Ireland women's side plays at Lansdowne Road for the first time.
"We don't want this to be a once-off thing," said McCabe. "Yes we love Tallaght, we have created a lot of special memories in Tallaght, we have great engagement with our fans in Tallaght, but this is the pinnacle, playing in your national stadium.
"Maybe we might see this going in the future, puts a bit of pressure on the FAI. It’s a fantastic thing. Myself and the girls, we cannot wait for tomorrow. It’s going to be a spectacular day. We hope we can give the performance and get the result for our fans to be happy with."
It'll be a special moment too for Gleeson, who has been involved in Irish women's football for decades.
Last January she was appointed as the FAI's Head of Women and Girls' Football, a position created to further drive and develop the game from grassroots level up. She remains committed to that role, insisting she has no interest in becoming the manager on a permanent basis.
Still, Gleeson did allow herself a moment to reflect on the magnitude of Saturday's fixture.
"It's absolutely incredible. As you said, we've been involved in football for many years in Ireland. I've been involved for more years than since Katie was born! I can't describe my love for Irish football, it's in your soul and I've stayed in Ireland deliberately, committed to Irish football, so to walk out in the Aviva Stadium to 38,000 people, that's just the pinnacle of where we are right now.
"I can't think of a bigger honour than to be involved in this moment. We really want to connect with the fans and give them a good experience. It's the biggest moment so far."
"The fact that we can do it here in our national stadium is incredibly special."
Ireland have enjoyed a number of significant milestones in the last three years, but they've very often been soured by off-the-field negativity.
At Hampden Park, in the wake of the play-off victory over Scotland, the players' singing of Celtic Symphony by The Wolfe Tones caused huge controversy that took weeks to settle.
The pre-World Cup farewell friendly against France was overshadowed by an article in The Athletic that detailed allegations made against Pauw when she was head coach at NWSL side Houston Dash.
And at the tournament itself, Pauw and McCabe had a touchline spat during the Nigeria match, which Pauw addressed in the post-match press conference, saying: "If Katie McCabe wants a change, it doesn't mean… she's not the coach." McCabe subsequently post a zipped mouth emoji on social media platform X.
There's a strong desire among the players to draw a line in the sand and bask in some undiluted glory after tomorrow's game: a convicing win against very committed opponents would be a welcome tonic.
"You know what? It is just so exciting," said McCabe. "I hope to see thousands of boys and girls coming out to cheer us on. We seen all the support online over the summer and in Australia as well, but this will be the first time we will see it at home.
"The fact that we can do it here in our national stadium is incredibly special."
Katie McCabe on historic Aviva game
— RTÉ Soccer (@RTEsoccer) September 22, 2023
'We don't want this to be a once-off thing. Yes we love Tallaght, we have created a lot of special memories in Tallaght... but this is the pinnacle, playing in your national stadium'#rtesoccer pic.twitter.com/CPt559AwNV
Gleeson concurred, but warned the North will be a tricky prospect.
"[They have a] new manager in, Tanya [Oxtoby], with a huge wealth of experience so we expect a very adaptable team. Any new manager galvanises new energy in different ways. I am sure Tanya's methods will cause a stir in their team.
"We are expecting a tough challenge tomorrow. Tanya will drive them forward. They will come at us.
"The Nations League is super important, we have been driving that message home all week. Nobody is taking that for granted. This is the first step on the road to qualification for Euros 2025. We're not treating this as anything other than a competitive game we want three points from. We know this is the first step on a longer journey."
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