Ronan O’Flaherty

The season was winding down just as the team found its stride.

Victory in county Louth offered a sense that something special was afoot. The push for a third-place finish – and with it the guarantee of European football – was in motion. Dundalk had been a notoriously difficult place for Saints teams in recent years, but Adam O'Reilly's winning goal deep into injury time exorcised the ghosts of Oriel past. The celebrations that greeted the young Corkman's winner told a story in itself.

St Patrick’s had caught lightning in a bottle and the cap remained tightly sealed for the visit of Bohemians seven days later. When Serge Atakayi struck in the seventh minute, there was a sense that the fans – filled with expectation – had sucked the ball into the net. Well-founded expectation, too. St Patrick's were the form team in the country and they were on the way to another three-point haul. The 3-1 victory against the Gypsies made it eight wins, two draws and one defeat from the previous 11 league outings.

Away days don't come any harder than Tallaght. With the RTÉ cameras in position, It was a night when TV viewers got to witness the special vibe enveloping St Patrick’s Athletic. Flags, colour and a wall of noise greeted the arrival of the red men. The team immediately responded to the phenomenal support. Atakayi struck for the opener even faster than he had a week earlier. But it wasn't to be. We go back to D24 on March 17 when, hopefully, the day lives up to its name.

A wobble followed in Sligo before the team got back on track emphatically. The dismantling of Shelbourne made for an engrossing spectacle. The previous meeting with Shels, at Tolka Park, ended 4-4 and was described by some as the game of the season. For supporters, there was little comfort in that. It had been a head-scratcher of a game that provided more questions than answers.

To claw back a two-goal deficit and earn a point was pleasing, but conceding four was a worry. Those concerns evaporated in the 4-0 victory on the closing day. Eoin Doyle showed sniffer-like qualities to pounce with a brace that he made look easy. With the right service into the danger zone this season, he can break through the 20-goal barrier.

Richmond Park was again packed to the rafters on that crisp November night against Damien Duff's boys. Ian Bermingham got the sendoff his stellar service merited. "Their leader was a Ballyer man" read the banner displayed by the brilliant SEI. It included an image of Ian lifting the FAI Cup trophy – only the third Saints captain to do so after Tommy Dunne and Ger O'Brien. He retires as the club's record appearance holder. The Hall of Fame beckons.

This evening, the Saints kick off a season without Ian for the first time since 2009. He's still very much involved of course, just not as a player. Derry City had the edge on St Patrick's last year, illustrated by their two victories at Richmond Park. As the season progressed, it became clear that if anyone was going to challenge Shamrock Rovers, it would be Derry City.

Seven days after St Patrick's put four past Shels, the Foylesiders matched the feat in the cup final. Saints fans in attendance at Lansdowne Road were channelling their inner Candystripe, knowing that victory would send Pat's into Europe.

We enjoyed the European adventure last year and perhaps, with a bit of luck, would have gone at least one round further. It's all ahead of us again. But let's not wish away the present. There'll be plenty of water under the bridge between now and then. Happy new season.