The League of Ireland has not seen such popularity since the Match of the Day era of football, which led to diminishing attendances throughout the country after the hey day of the 1950s and '60s - when terraces thronged.
Shamrock Rovers have been leading the way in recent years, winning the league four times in the last five years, while continuing to blaze a trail on the European front.
The Hoops kicked off their season in style with an impressive away victory in Norway on Thursday night, and begin their league campaign against fierce rivals Bohemians today.
Bohs, likewise, have played a vital role in adding to the promotion of the league; from the posthumous signings of dynamic duo Bob Marley and Phil Lynott, before adding the creative Fontaines flair, and offering a touch of northern grit with the Kneecap trio proudly parading Palestinian paraphernalia.
The Phibsboro club have not forgotten where they have come from with their continued carpet collective, while they have just this week forged a stout partnership with another institution of the capital city as they maintain their drive to remain 'Dublin's Originals'.
And perhaps the most audacious move of all from the forward-thinking D7 outfit is the staging of their first home game of the season at the de facto national football stadium at Lansdowne Road.
Bohemians have been turning valuable punters away for the past few seasons; a victim of their own success with 'sold out' signs limiting their ability to drive up attendances at the dilapidated Dalymount.
Things will change on that front once the actual home of Irish football gets the long-awaited, and richly deserved redevelopment, but in the meantime a bold move to Aviva Stadium will certainly help on the financial front.
It might be argued that a league opener in the heart of Ringsend should feature the two sides with roots in the region, Shelbourne and Shamrock Rovers, especially with Damien Duff's side beginning the defence of their title.
However, it was the Gypsies, living up to the moniker, who are hitting the road and traipsing across town and over the Liffey waters to set up shop at the incredible arena.
Over 30,000 are expected for the meeting of rival forces and while the season officially opened on Friday night, the meeting of Bohs and Rovers will certainly announce the recommencement of the league following the long, cold winter break.
There was a time, back in the 1990s, when the rivalry between these two teams was perhaps at its peak, yet the on-field endeavours were unable to match the off-field antics of the rival factions.
Rovers, however, stumbled upon a perfect storm throughout the 1993-94 season as Ray Treacy moulded a remarkable one-season wonder, with Stephen Geoghegan banging them in up top, ably aided by a cast with Alan O’Neill in goal, stalwart Peter Eccles in the heart of defence, John Toal and Alan Byrne biting legs in midfield, while Paul Osam’s year-long hiatus from Inchicore proved perfect for the Hoops.
After the devastation of the Milltown era coming to an untimely close, the brief return to former glory was enough for the Rovers fans to taunt their cross-city rivals who had not won a title since 1978 – the Ring of Fire chorus was used to count the years.
The chant lasted a few more years as their league quest pushed into double decades, however, the new millennium would see a spectacular changing of the guard as Bohs won the league four times before the Hoops got their hands on the trophy after 17 long seasons of turmoil.
But now, while Bohs are staying relevant with their marvellous marketing – they even managed to distil some poetic Dalymount gin in recent years – the clock is certainly ticking as they begin their 16th season since last becoming champions in 2009.
Bohemians were the side that pushed Rovers closest during the first of the most recent four in a row, however, over the past few seasons they have gone backwards, with two fifth-placed finishes, a sixth, and, last year, a shocking eighth.
They are no longer being spoken of as contenders for the title but rather relegation candidates, and Alan Reynolds is now charged with restoring a sense of pride on the pitch at they look to match their off-field strategy.
The former Waterford and Shamrock Rovers midfielder, who played over 300 times in the league, endured a baptism of fire throughout his opening season as Bohs manager, taking the role after the campaign had already begun.
However, the Déise man can now use that bedding-in period to his advantage as he gets set to embark on his first full year at the club and with the benefit of working with his players for the entire pre-season.
And Bohemians look a lot stronger on paper with the acquisition of some quality players, including Colm Whelan, who was considered one of the real stars of the future as he came through with UCD a couple of years ago.
A move to Derry City proved catastrophic for the emerging talent as he ruptured his cruciate ligament, which led to a prolonged period on the sidelines.
Whelan will bring real quality to the attacking element of this new-look Bohs side, while two more new signings will be equally exciting for the faithful.
Connor Parsons’ arrival will certainly add to the expectation levels this year as his pace and skill can cause all sorts of problems for opposition defences, while Lys Mousset’s arrival could prove one of the best bits of business all season should the former Premier League man return to form.
Niall Morahan, John Mountney, and loan signing Kian Best will also strengthen the squad, while the arrival of Gary Deegan to the academy may prove very shrewd when it comes to bridging the gap for emerging players and the first team.
And there are plenty of other options in the squad that bring a sense of optimism for the season ahead, the securing of James Talbot a key factor, combined with other talents throughout, including Dawson Devoy, Dayle Rooney and Ross Tierney.
Ultimately, Bohs’ return to the challengers’ conversation may come down to the suitability of Reynolds in the role as the man to bring back success to the Dalymount Park club.
Reynolds is a highly respected football mind throughout Irish football, having held a string of assistant manager positions, most notably working alongside Jim Crawford with the Republic of Ireland Under-21s, but now he will have to prove his credentials in the top job.
And no doubt, there will be a strong emphasis on beginning the campaign with a bang as Bohs look to take advantage of playing the Hoops in the middle of their vital two-legged Conference League clash with Molde.
"Bohs will be very dangerous in the final third of the pitch, they've got real threats there," said Bradley, who expects to again be without Jack Byrne, Trevor Clarke, Rory Gaffney and Darragh Nugent.
"So, we’ve got to respect that and be ready. But then we need to impose our game as we did on Thursday."
Shelbourne may be champions, but once again, clubs will see Rovers as the team to set the standard for the season ahead, and Bohs will get a chance to see where they stand coming out of pre-season and into the new campaign.
As for Rovers, there will be a real confidence coming into this game, despite the fact that they have one eye on Europe, and they will trust the process to come out and do a professional job on Bohs on Sunday afternoon.
The big Lansdowne Road pitch should suit Stephen Bradley’s side as they look to regain their title from Shels this season, however, Bohemians will be determined to rise to the occasion and remain relevant in their quest to be Dublin’s number one.
