After some time Galway became the only credible team in Connacht and was essentially given an automatic pass to the All-Ireland semi-final every year. This knock-out system persisted for nearly 60 years and was considered to be the fairest system as the All-Ireland champions would always be the only undefeated team of the year.
This passage describes a long-standing, dominant system in Connacht football where Galway consistently qualified for the All-Ireland semi-finals and remained undefeated throughout the season.