As Ciarán Kilduff finalised his plans for Dundalk's new reality as an SSE Airtricity Men's First Division outfit, there were some positives amid the gloom.
A major one was the enduring presence of the new manager's former team-mate and legend of the golden era who was staying on to captain the side for 2025 - "one of, if not the best player I ever played with" Kilduff readily offered as a descriptor of his on-field lieutenant at the League of Ireland season launch in February.
Those glowing words were, of course, in reference to Daryl Horgan, the 17-time Republic of Ireland cap who had been so instrumental in helping Dundalk to three League of Ireland titles and a memorable Europa League group stage sojourn between 2014 and 2017.
Those golden days were in the rearview mirror however as financial issues and on-field decline affected players, supporters and stakeholders alike. So attached was Horgan to the club and town that relegation almost felt like a personal affront.
Vitally, after a period of reflection, the 32-year-old winger was intent on staying at Oriel Park despite the painful 2024 relegation from the top flight and in truth, as Horgan told this week's RTÉ Soccer Podcast, he had played his own part in ensuring that Kilduff would pitch up in the dugout for this season in the second tier.
"Well, first thing when we got relegated, I went away, took a hard, long look at myself, everything that went on. I didn't really speak to anybody for a few days, head was in the bin kind of thing," Horgan said on this week's episode which saw him reunite with former team-mate Richie Towell to reminisce about Dundalk's heyday under Stephen Kenny as well as his experiences with Ireland.
Daryl Horgan and Richie Towell went on a Dundalk nostalgia trip on this week's episode. Listen to the RTÉ Soccer podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.
"And then I started to get excited in a strange way. I knew the club was going to have to change massively, put a massive emphasis on youth and things like that.
"First and foremost I didn't want to leave, in the sense that I felt personally responsible for what happened and I didn't want to walk away from that and say, 'it wasn't on me, look elsewhere.'
"I'm not saying anyone else did that. They had their own circumstances - families, kids, they had to look after themselves - I completely understand that.
"But that's how I felt for me and I wanted to right that wrong first and foremost. And then I was looking at the young lads that we have coming through and I just thought it's an unbelievable batch and I wanted to be a part of that."
Which led him to pick up the phone to Kilduff who at that stage was mulling over whether to step away from a succesful tenure as Athlone Town women's manager and join a Dundalk in turmoil.
"I actually called the manager before anything had been done or dusted and (I asked), 'Are you coming or what?'" Horgan revealed.
"And (Kilduff) was saying he didn't really know, he had to know the lie of the land and speak to the owner. He'd had a very successful time at Athlone and didn't know if he wanted to leave that.
"But I was on the phone for an hour and a half just talking about everything and I think that probably helped push him along the way as well and since he's come in he's been brilliant. He's reset the group.
"He set up the start where it was, 'Look, if you're coming back, brilliant, but I don't want to hear a single hang-up from last year. This is a new year. we're a new group and we're going to be our way now, nothing from previous ways.' And he's brought a new energy, new focus and new determination to the group as well and it's been really, really enjoyable to be a part of."
Even if there were expectations that Dundalk would be in the mix to bounce back to the Premier at the first attempt, there was always going to be a sense of the unknown.
They opened this season with three 1-0 wins - all in vastly different circumstances and also the type of games they may not have won if it was last season as Horgan admitted - but in recent weeks the goals have started to flow for a club with a core of young talents like Eoin Kenny, Vinnie Leonard and Mayowa Animasahun abetted by the experience of the captain as well as Keith Ward, Peter Cherrie and Dean Ebbe.
"It's a different energy in the group, there's a different life to it," said Horgan.
"Maybe that's from the year before, being down, lack of confidence, where it feels different now.
"All the young lads have really upped their game to levels where you're thinking these could kick on and we might not see these too much longer.
"And obviously the goals have come a bit more freely now but we probably need to be better at the other end as well. It'll be a balance of both and it will take a bit of time to completely get to the level.
"But I feel when we do hit that stride, we'll be very strong."
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