It's been a hell of a year for Galway United.
Having lost the 2022 First Division play-off final to Waterford, they dusted themselves down and spectacularly healed the pain.
John Caulfield's team have been almost untouchable this season, cruising to the title in relentless fashion. Now they're two games away from sealing a double.
Galway host Bohemians in the Sports Direct FAI Cup semi-finals at a sold-out Eamonn Deacy Park on Saturday [live on RTÉ One, 2.30pm] dreaming of the Aviva Stadium.
Caulfield has built a lean, mean winning machine, their evergreen keeper Brendan Clarke keeping 20 clean sheets over the campaign.
Clarke has won the FAI Cup twice - with Sligo Rovers in 2011 and St Pat's in 2014. He knows what it means to make it to the "showpiece of Irish football", and he wants another taste of it.
"Since the Dundalk game [in the quarters] we've just been focusing on getting the league over the line which we managed to do down in Kerry a couple of weeks ago," he told RTÉ Sport's Adrian Eames.
"We started watching videos of Bohs over the weekend. They have threats all over the park. Look, they're a massive club, a brilliant team. It's a massive test for us.
"It's the showpiece of Irish football. There's many a brilliant player that goes through their career without tasting what a cup final feels like. I've been lucky enough to do it a couple of times. Some of the lads, as the cup games come, they ask, 'what's it all about?'
"It's hard to explain what cup final week is. You kind of have to live the moment to really appreciate how exciting it is. For us, if we get there, it'll be a phenomenal achievement."
Conor McCormack [above] is another experienced head in the dressing room who has been there and worn the T-shirt. McCormack won the cup alongside Clarke with Pat's in 2014 and lifted the trophy under Caulfield at Cork City in 2017.
"We're not getting carried way," he said. "We know it's going to be a really tough game against Bohemains. They're a great team, they've a good manager as well. They'll be ready for it. It's important that we concetrate on ourselevs and hopefully put on a good performance."
They'll be roared on at Eamonn Deacy Park where a cracking atmosphere is guaranteed.
"There's no better place to play football when it's packed out," added McCormack.
"I know they'll get right behind us like they did in the quarter-final against Dundalk. We're really looking forward to it.
"We've made Eamonn Deacy a bit of a fortress this year. That's down to all the staff and the players working really, really hard in each and every game.
"John is a great manager. When he came in he brought the winning factor to the Galway team. We were bitterly disappointed with how last season ended in the play-off final, but this year we've learned from our mistakes.
"Our main objective was to get promoted. We have a massive game to look forward to now on Saturday. Hopefully we can make it to the Aviva."
Watch the Sports Direct FAI Cup semi-finals, Galway United v Bohemians (Saturday 2.30pm) and Cork City v St Patrick's Athletic (Sunday 2.30pm) on RTÉ One and RTÉ Player, listen to commentary on RTÉ Radio 1 or follow a live blog on RTÉ.ie/Sport and the RTÉ News app
Listen to the RTÉ Soccer podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.
