Shamrock Rovers manager Stephen Bradley said the 2023 title victory had been the most difficult of all amid "people taking shots" both inside and outside the club.
And after emulating the celebrated four-in-a-row winning Hoops side of the mid-1980s, Bradley said he wanted to stick around for a tilt at five on the trot.
Bradley's side sealed their fourth title in succession with a 2-0 win away to St Patrick's Athletic at Richmond Park.
Like so much of the season, the match was a struggle for the Hoops, who were on the back foot for long stretches before Aaron Greene headed home the lead goal with six minutes of normal time remaining. In injury time, his fellow substitute Graham Burke rounded the keeper to make sure of the title.
"Just immense joy, these players have been incredible for a long period of time," Bradley told RTÉ Sport after the game.
"It's hard to win one title but to win two, three, four. And constantly being the team there to be shot at.
"It's hard. It takes a lot of work. It takes showing up every day. These players and staff have been absolutely incredible. So, just immense pride and joy in what we've done."
Rovers' title defence appeared to be in major jeopardy early on, after they failed to win once in their opening six games - a rather surreal start to the campaign.
There was also major disappointment on the European front, with the Hoops failing badly against Icelandic outfit Breidablik in the Champions League.
Through it all, the champions managed to maintain their form in the league, grinding out results.
Asked to instance the most important quality shown by his team, Bradley replied: "Togetherness. We've been good in patches, poor in patches. We've had injuries, suspensions. We've had people taking shots at us from all angles.
"And we've stayed together. Everyone has stepped up in the squad when needed.
"There's been people coming for us from all angles. And look, if any team was going to catch us, I think it was this year considering the start we had. But the players showed incredible character and strength to come back from that. And to go and win the league again, it's an unbelievable achievement.
"Off the pitch was difficult. We had people coming for us. From within and outside, which is not nice.
"And then the four in a row. The pressure. The players are only human, they hear about it all the time. Everyone was talking about 'can we do it?' And they have to cross the white line every week. All credit goes to them."
Shamrock Rovers manager Stephen Bradley, having just secured his fourth league title in a row, is now looking for a fifth and has challenged the Shamrock Rovers board to help make that happen. #RTEsoccer pic.twitter.com/vIpvBcDigf
— RTÉ Soccer (@RTEsoccer) October 27, 2023
As for the five-in-a-row push, Bradley insists he wants to hang around for it.
Doubts emerged around his future at the club late on in the season, with the manager confirming last month that contract discussions had been paused until the end of the campaign.
There remains some uncertainty concerning the budget for 2024, in the wake of sub-par performance in Europe this summer. Key figures Jack Byrne and Rory Gaffney are out of contract at the end of the season.
"I want to go for five. It's down to the board now," insisted Bradley.
"The board have to make that happen. I just want to see us get better. I want to see this club get better every year. That's my job, to drive this club forward on and off the pitch. The day I stop doing that, I may as well retire.
"Our average age is 27.3 this year. Will we keep evolving? Of course we will. But people are mistaking experience for age.
"I'm hungry, I want more. And I feel this club is set up to want more and that's where we should be going."
Rory Gaffney is the SSE Airtricity Player of the Match on a night when Shamrock Rovers secured the four-in-a-row and already Gaffney is looking ahead to making it five. #RTEsoccer pic.twitter.com/rcVwXpiNto
— RTÉ Soccer (@RTEsoccer) October 27, 2023
St Pat's manager Jon Daly was proud of his players.
"If you're going to lose football matches that's the way to lose it, going toe to toe," he said. "Either side could have come out on top tonight.
"Two mistakes on our part that have been punished and that's ultimately why they are champions, they smell blood and punish you when you make mistakes.
"We've got a lot of young kids in there. If we can keep them all together for a number of years you would say we would be right up there challenging.
"The harsh realities are we're probably going to lose a couple of them but that's part of football and it's then finding the ones coming through next. We have a fantastic academy here that's producing a lot of players and a manager who's not afraid to use them.
"Fair play to Rovers, they're deserved champions and we'll look now towards the cup final in a couple of weeks."
