O'Keeffe fits the bill for Kingdom

GALWAY footballers created their own bit of history last year by winning the football championship after having earlier lost in the Connacht semi-final to Roscommon.

They managed it through a combination of factors, getting valuable time to rebuild their team, a favourable draw (against Wicklow) in the opening round of the qualifiers and a gradual return to form. With the added element of luck it proved to be as near-perfect a campaign as John O’Mahony could have hoped for.

This time, they qualified for the All-Ireland quarter-final in Croke Park on Sunday by winning their provincial title. Opponents Kerry have come through what has been referred to as the scenic route. When the counties last clashed in the 2000 All-Ireland