With Monaghan and Tyrone set to renew rivalries in the Ulster SFC Final after an 11-year gap, the landscape has shifted significantly since then.
2010 proved to be a turning point for both the Leinster and Ulster senior football championships - just not in the manner that might have been anticipated.
Dublin's five-year dominance in the east had been smashed by a five-goal semi-final shellacking from Meath, who in turn should have been shocked in the final by Louth, only for a hugely controversial last-gasp pushover try to snatch victory for the Royals.
Leinster suddenly seemed an open competition again…
Up north, in contrast, Tyrone had retained Ulster with ease, cruising to a 10-point triumph over Monaghan (who managed only seven points), a win even more comfortable than the previous year's success against surprise finalists Antrim.
The Red Hands, having lifted the Sam Maguire Cup three times during that decade, were surely eyeing up a fourth.
Years later, Tyrone manager Mickey Harte recalled ruefully that very few supporters had even come onto the pitch to acclaim the victors, with their sights set firmly on another All-Ireland.
As it turned out, Dublin did for Tyrone in the All-Ireland quarter-finals, and Kildare ousted Meath, before both those teams lost in semi-finals of the most unpredictable All-Ireland series in many years.
Such was Dublin's continued recovery from their mauling by Meath that they've won every Leinster since. Indeed, even though they only won the first two finals of the decade by one-goal margins, they've been on average 12 points clear of their opponents over the past 10 deciders. For good measure, they won eight All-Irelands, including an unprecedented six-in-a-row.
The Leinster title is only a stepping stone now, a means to an end.
Although the 10 seasons since 2010 turned into 'the decade of Donegal' in Ulster, with the Tir Chonaill men making nine of the finals and winning five of them, even within that dominance there was still success for others and hope for some.
Indeed, even Donegal's success initially was something different, as they bridged a 19-year gap for Ulster in 2011, then added their second All-Ireland the next year after retaining the Anglo-Celt Cup. The counties they beat in those provincial finals, Derry then Down, had ended waits of their own for appearances on that stage, of 11 and nine years respectively.
Monaghan, memorably, dethroned Donegal in the 2013 decider, in the process ending their own quarter-century wait for a provincial triumph. That began a three-year final series between those two, with Donegal re-asserting themselves before Monaghan arm-wrestled the Anglo-Celt back off them in 2015.
Tyrone hadn't gone away, though, indeed they reached All-Ireland semi-finals in both 2013 and 2015. Despite that progress through the 'back door', their absence from Ulster Finals made Red Hands itch to lift the Anglo-Celt again.
They did so in 2016, a final which was memorable for me personally - even though I wasn't there due to my daughter's decision to emerge into the world that day. The fact that I may have been aware of the stunning late scores which won the game for the Red Hands in a dramatic finale was totally due to the midwife happening to be a GAA fan from Tyrone.
The only final Donegal missed out on over the past decade, four years ago, also sticks in my mind - albeit for the wrong reasons. I was at that one. Eventually. Belatedly. Having made the mistake of allowing a Down man to drive me to Clones, we duly got stuck in horrendous traffic as he didn't go the sneaky route.
Panic-stricken as the clock ticked on more quickly than the car, I got out and made the last bit of the journey on foot (almost literally on one foot, due to my dodgy right knee). I then suffered the ignominy of being overtaken by the driver as he ran into the stadium - did I mention that I have a gammy knee? At least there was karma as Tyrone defeated the Mournemen.
Donegal bounced back in style in 2018, comfortably regaining the trophy by easing past Fermanagh, the Ernemen in their first final for a decade. The Tir Chonaill men then retained the cup more easily than their five-point winning margin over Cavan suggested, although at least the Breffnimen had the consolation of ending the province's longest wait for a final appearance, 18 years.
They had much more than that last season, however, restoring faith in Ulster's unpredictability by returning to the decider and deservedly wreaking revenge on Donegal.
That unexpected outcome capped off a strange campaign, with a return to the traditional All-Ireland format enforced by the coronavirus pandemic, and a switch of Ulster Final venue to the Athletic Grounds.
Now the northern decider is back at Croke Park for the first time in 15 years. The winners will return there for the All-Ireland semi-finals, but Ulster remains a significant prize in itself.
If the Red Hands continue their run of victories in Ulster Finals, undefeated since the famous 2005 replay (at Croke…) against Armagh, they'll move alongside Monaghan into joint second spot on the provincial roll of honour, with 16 triumphs.
Yet both these powerful, top flight teams have suffered relative provincial droughts recently. Both have been in All-Ireland semi-finals - and a final in Tyrone's case - since they last reached an Ulster decider.
A place in the last four is the further reward which awaits this weekend. Better still, mighty Dublin are in the other half (assuming they win Leinster for the 11th consecutive year), as are impressive-looking Mayo.
Not so good, Kerry await…
But still.
Even with that daunting obstacle of the Kingdom in the way, this weekend's victors will still have (extremely) hopeful eyes set on 'Sam'.
Yet those thoughts are for later. Although Covid-related restrictions may mean headquarters is only around one-sixth full - and pitch invaders are likely to be pitch-forked off - the victorious supporters will surely celebrate much more vigorously than in 2010.
