When Jim McGuinness was in charge of Donegal during his first spell, winning the Ulster championship in 2011 was the springboard to all of the success that would follow.
The county had not tasted success at provincial level since 1992 and had largely fallen out of the top tier of teams in the country over the intervening years. Lifting the Anglo-Celt Cup gave that group that belief that they were good enough to compete at the very top, something they would do consistently over the years that followed.
Of course, not everyone puts such importance on provincial competitions in the modern game. Many feel that they are an outdated concept and should be removed from the championship calendar.
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Jim McGuinness against changes to GAA provincial championships
While the provincial Gaelic football championships in Leinster, Munster, and Connacht have lost their lustre somewhat in recent years, the Ulster championship still provides plenty of drama each summer.
GAA fans in that province have certainly been less open to changing the current structure, something that is completely understandable when you see the standard on show in that particular competition.
Speaking to Highland Radio, Jim McGuinness hammered those that suggested we would be better off without the provincial championships, especially considering the rude health of the Ulster edition.
There's a lot of people hellbent in the GAA in talking down the provincial championships, even though the provincial championship in Ulster, there is no change on it. It's still the exact same thing that it always was.
But people's perception of it, that people are not taking it seriously or people are focusing on the All-Ireland, it's absolute nonsense. A paper doesn't refuse ink, or conversations on podcast.
The bottom line for us is that it will always be the number one competition. Whenever we're out of that competition, the next one will be the number one competition. There is two competitions every single year, in terms of championship football, and you focus on the first one first and the second one second.
That is absolutely it. For us, everything from that very first training session to that ball being thrown in at Celtic Park is focused on that moment, nothing else.
We will obviously be going out to win as many games as we can in Division 2, you're trying to get promotion, keep the wheel turning, build the positivity and try and get up into a higher level for the next year.
But the only reason you're trying to do that is to be in a better place against better teams so you're better positioned for the Ulster championship.
Jim McGuinness will no doubt look to use the Ulster championship as a springboard to yet more success with Donegal during his second stint in charge, although they will face the daunting task of travelling to take on defending champions Derry in their first game this year.
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