The list of things Galway had done since their last league title is just plain crazy

36 years is a long, long time in football.

Division Two or not, Kevin Walsh and the Galway footballers have every right to be celebrating their league title triumph over Kildare because God knows it’s been a long time coming.

Not since 1981 had the Tribesmen tasted league success and their 0-18 to 0-16 win delivered a first Croke Park win in 16 years for the Connacht champions too.

Galway have a tough start with life in the championship this year with what looks like will be a pairing with their great rivals Mayo in the provincial semi-final.

Connacht Senior Football Championship

Preliminary round
Sligo v New York

Quarter-final
Leitrim v London
Mayo v Sligo/New York

Semi-final
Roscommon v Leitrim/London
Galway v Mayo/Sligo/New York

But they go into the summer as league champions for the first time in over three and a half decades and, my, how they’ve had a rich history in that time.

Here’s a list of things the Galway footballers have done since their last triumph in 1981.

All-Ireland senior football championship:

• 2 x wins
• 2 x runners-up

All-Ireland junior football championship:

• 1 x wins
• 2 x runners-up

All-Ireland under-21 football championship:

• 4 x wins
• 3 x runners-up

All-Ireland minor football championship:

• 2 x wins
• 2 x runners-up

Connacht senior football championship:

• 13 x wins

National Football League:

• 4 x runners-up
• 7 x runners-up

The wait is over.

Make no mistake about, this Galway team is on the rise.

The FootballJOE quiz: Were you paying attention? – episode 10