For the second year in succession, all four provincial winners won their All-Ireland quarter-final clashes and made it through to the last four, so this meeting has the feel of an old-style, pre-Qualifier era affair, pitting the Munster champions against the Ulster champions.
The two sides have only met twice before in the championship, and both those clashes took place in recent years, in quarter-final matches in 2006 and 2009.
Cork were victorious on both occasions, winning the 2006 meeting by a point before romping to victory in a very one-sided 2009 clash. Cork won that game three years ago on a scoreline of 1-27 to 2-10, and for many players on the Donegal team, memories of that trimming will be all too vivid.
Frank McGlynn, Neil McGee, Karl Lacey, Eamon McGee, Rory Kavanagh, Leo McLoone, Michael Murphy and Colm McFadden all started that day against the Rebels, who also carry a large contingent from that win into Sunday's clash.
Thirteen of Cork's starting XV on Sunday played in that 2009 win, so apart from anything else, it will be very interesting to see how two sides with such consistency of personnel have developed in relation to one another over the past three years.
Donegal gave some proof of how much they have caught up with Cork back in March, when they beat Conor Counihan's men by four points in Ballybofey in the Allianz Football League.
While March football bears little relation to its August cousin, there will still obviously be no doubt in the minds of the Cork players and management that the Donegal team they face on Sunday is a totally different proposition to the one they came up against back in that 2009 quarter-final.
The Jim McGuinness revolution has been truly something to behold, and winning the last two Ulster titles in such emphatic style has made Donegal serious contenders for the Sam Maguire Cup.
Added to the aura that has come from their recent dominance of the northern province, Donegal's victory over Kerry in the All-Ireland quarter-final earlier this month was clear proof that they are capable of taking on any team in the country and beating them.
That said, given that much of Donegal's success has come about from the development of a supreme physicality within them, the challenge which will be presented by Cork is another step up again for Donegal.
McGuinness discussed that earlier this week.
"With their physique, with their fitness and their running power it would not make sense if you were not dying to take teams on, make it an athletic battle through the middle and run it," he said.
"With the size of the players and what they can bring to the table it is a fair physical challenge for any team in the country and it is something that we haven’t been up against up to this point."
Donegal have played and won five games to get to the semi-final, whereas Cork have played just three. The extended Donegal summer has seen plenty of attention come the way of the Ulster champions, whereas Cork's progress has come somewhat more under the radar.
It has still been an impressive run though. They beat Kerry convincingly in Munster before galloping past Clare in the final, while their 13-point victory over a touted Kildare in the All-Ireland quarter-final sent out a clear signal about the seriousness of their intentions to reclaim the All-Ireland title they won in 2010.
Counihan admitted recently though, that he was disappointed his team haven't been seriously challenged yet this year.
"That would be a disappointment," he said.
"The real test of that comes when things get really tight and to date this year that hasn't really happened. If the Kildare game was tighter and tougher, we'd be in a happier place, you'd know exactly, if push came to shove, where you were at. There is an element of that in it."
Cork have made one change to their team for the clash, with the fully fit again Paddy Kelly coming in at centre-half-forward in place of Ciarán Sheehan. Corner-back Ray Carey also starts, having injured his hamstring slightly in the Kildare game.
Donegal have yet to name their team, but it is not expected to show any major changes. Their only injury concern is over Martin McElhinney (knee).
Cork: A Quirke; R Carey, M Shields, E Cadogan; P Kissane, G Canty, N O'Leary; A O'Connor, A Walsh; F Goold, P Kelly, P Kerrigan; C O'Neill, D O'Connor, N Murphy.
