1,692 days is a long time in football, if not in the 131-year of history of Shelbourne.
But it really was a deeply impactful spell at Tolka Park as in that period Damien Duff transformed the Reds from First Division winners to Premier Division winners. Three whirlwind years that will live long in the memory of every Shels supporter.
With Duff’s departure, it falls into the hands of his former assistant Joey O’Brien to try to continue that success and 2026 will be his first full season in charge.
With O’Brien already having had seven months in the role, there are some indications that Shels may be able to improve on the disappointing title defence they had in 2025.
O’Brien took charge of 14 league…