It was a winter of discontent for the Republic of Ireland after the painful Euro 2025 play-off final defeat to Wales and the subsequent departure of Eileen Gleeson as head coach.
It took time for the dust to fully settle on the emotional gut punch of that loss at Aviva Stadium.
However the slew of Irish players based in England got a welcome rest over Christmas as the Women's Super League and Championship paused for a mid-season break.
Now they're back, with the weekend's FA Cup fourth-round games jammed with Irish angles and interest.
Familiar names will look to shake off some ring rust, while others will be attempting to make an impact in new surroundings.
One name to keep an eye on is the highly promising Lia O'Leary who completed her expected switch to Bristol City from Shamrock Rovers on Tuesday. The Ireland Under-19s captain got a few training sessions under her belt this week and could be in line for a dream debut against Arsenal at Meadow Park on Sunday lunchtime (live on the Women's FA Cup YouTube channel).
O'Leary has been welcomed to her new club by Chloe Mustaki, who returned from a lengthy injury absence in October and will be key to the Robins' hopes of pulling off what would be a major upset.
Arsenal's carousel of stars are likely to be full of beans though. Katie McCabe took the opportunity to get some sun on her bones with a festive trip to Australia and, re-energised, will be hoping to drive the Gunners' charge for domestic and European glory in 2025.
Tara O'Hanlon, mooted by many to be a potential successor to McCabe on Ireland's left-hand side, appears to be edging closer to a long-awaited first appearance for Manchester City.
The gifted 19-year-old has been plagued by injuries since moving to England from Peamount United almost a year ago but she's been in Abu Dhabi this week on City's warm-weather training camp. A home tie against third-tier Ipswich Town could offer her a golden chance to finally get on the pitch. Eve O'Carroll, 17, is another excellent Irish prospect on the fringes of the first team. O'Caroll made her league debut in last month's 4-0 win against Leicester City.
Elsewhere the London City Lionesses and their trio of Irish internationals - Grace Moloney, Megan Campbell and Ruesha Littlejohn - will be expected to get past Fulham.
Promotion from the London and South East Regional Women's Football League (the fifth tier in England) is the Cottagers' priority. They're ten points off the top with five games in hand, but shouldn't pose any threat to the Lionesses, who are just one point behind Birmingham in the battle to win the Championship.
Hayley Nolan, Izzy Atkinson and Abbie Larkin have endured a tough campaign in the top flight with Crystal Palace but they'll be confident of getting the better of a Sheffield United side sitting second bottom in the Championship. Nolan has just penned a new deal that will keep her at the Eagles until at least the summer of 2026. Meanwhile Ellen Molloy has left the Blades and "returned to Ireland for personal reasons" according to the club.
On Merseyside, Courtney Brosnan and Heather Payne are prepping for the all-Women's Super League clash between Everton and Tottenham, while the Toffees' city rivals Liverpool travel to West Ham. Leanne Kiernan and Niamh Fahey are both lkely to feature for the Reds, with goalkeeper Megan Walsh in the frame to start for the Hammers. Walsh has had to take a back seat to Polish stopper Kinga Szemik in the league but has been given game time in the League Cup so might get a spin here. Meanwhile Jess Ziu is continuing to rehab from the ACL injury she sustained back in August.
Versatile midfielder Jessie Stapleton has enjoyed a fruitful loan move from West Ham to Sunderland this season. The Black Cats make the long trip south to face Exeter City, who operate one division below them in the FA Women's Premier League Premier Division.
Blackburn Rovers captain Tyler Toland comes up against her fellow Donegal native Erin McLaughlin as Portsmouth travel to Lancashire, and Anna Patten will likely line up in the heart of the Aston Villa defence when they host fourth-tier Bristol Rovers.
As for the holders? Manchester United, who lifted the trophy last May when they beat Spurs, have been pitted against West Brom. It'll be a family affair at Leigh Sports Village: United defender Evie Rabjohn's older sister Olivia plays for the third-tier Baggies.
It's a headline-grabbing subplot to a match that should be one-sided, but those of an Irish persuasion may be more interested in how Aoife Mannion is utilised. The luckless defender missed the Euro 2025 play-off games against Wales due to a muscle problem but was an unused sub in the Red Devils' league win over Crystal Palace just before Christmas.
A runout for Mannion in Greater Manchester would be a welcome sight.
Women's FA Cup fourth round
Saturday
Brighton and Hove Albion v Durham, 12.30pm
Manchester United v West Bromwich Albion, 5.15pm
Sunday
Crystal Palace v Sheffield United, 12pm
Fulham v London City Lionesses, 12pm
Arsenal v Bristol City, 12.30pm
Leicester City v Stoke City, 1pm
Exeter City v Sunderland, 1pm
Newcastle United v Nottingham Forest/Burnley, 1pm
Blackburn Rovers v Portsmouth, 1pm
Manchester City v Ipswich Town, 1pm
Everton v Tottenham Hotspur, 1pm
London Bees v Rugby Borough, 2pm
West Ham United v Liverpool, 2pm
Cheltenham Town v Wolverhampton Wanderers, 2pm
Chelsea v Charlton Athletic, 3pm
Aston Villa v Bristol Rovers, 5.45pm
