Advertisement League of Ireland Horse Racing TV Listings GAA Fixtures The Video Review Sport meets news, current affairs, society & pop culture Rugby Weekly Extra Dive into all the news and analysis 3 times a week The Football Family Weekly insights from the week’s big talking points Advertisement More Stories Shelbourne's Lewis Temple (right) with goalkeeper Conor Kearns.Andrew Conan/INPHO new discipline From world champion kickboxer to heart of Shels defence - Damien Duff hails 'incredible' Lewis Temple Defender has taken his chance with the League of Ireland champions and put in man-of-the-match display against St Pat’s last night. 10.01am, 5 Apr 2025 Share options DAMIEN DUFF SHOOK hands with opposite number Stephen Kenny and his staff straight after the full-time whistle blew on the 0-0 draw at Richmond Park last night. Then then Shelbourne manager made a beeline for the pitch and greeted players one by one. First up was defender Kameron Ledwidge (video below), a taster of the kind of appreciation Duff was dishing out after his side’s point away to St Patrick’s Athletic. Duff Love 😂 pic.twitter.com/iL1xuNWbga— Virgin Media Sport (@VMSportIE) April 4, 2025 “I’m a hugger, I’m good at hugs, that was a different type of hug,” he explained. “I still think, bizarrely, we won the league last year, but we’re a new team. Certainly [last night], there are new players in the building and I think they might look at me and Joe [O'Brien] sometimes like we’re mental. Last week, sprinting over to the away fans [in Sligo], I wanted our players to know how much it means to win a game. Advertisement “They are probably looking at me… no, it’s the way you celebrate. So [last night], a few slaps around the head, hugs, a few choice words, it was all love and affection, and it was just another night where they get to maybe know me and the staff more, because I want them to continuously grow, as we have done every season. And certainly, for the new players, probably still not knowing us, there’s nothing to hide here.” One of those fresh faces is not a new signing. Lewis Temple is a 19-year-old who emerged through the club’s academy before spending last season on loan with Wexford in the First Division. Injuries to centre backs Paddy Barrett and Sam Bone, as well as experienced defenders Sean Gannon and Tyreke Wilson, gave the Wicklow native his chance. On just his third Premier Division start, he picked up the man of the match award. He’s also someone well capable of handling himself when Duff shows his affection in such a physical manner. He became aware of the youngster at Eagle Martial Arts Club for Bray and Arklow, where Temple started kickboxing at four and by the time he was 12 earned a black belt and became a world champion. It was only at 15 that the defender decided to focus fully on football. “It’s an incredible mentality,” Duff said. “What were you doing at 12? I know what I was doing at 12 – [watching] The Simpsons and playing hide and go seek, probably. He was… a bit old? 12? Tip the can. Good game. Incredible, and it just shows. He has come into a highly pressurised game [last night]. “I spoke about it with the players at half-time, you could feel it in the ground, it was brilliant, a beautiful tension, it makes you feel alive. I asked them to embrace it more. So for Lewis to come in, with the amount of starts he’s had, he just sucks it up, eats it up. He’s been doing it for years. Shels boss Damien Duff.Andrew Conan / INPHO Andrew Conan / INPHO / INPHO “I’ve met plenty of brilliant training players in my career, as a coach, whatever, and they don’t deliver on a Friday or a Saturday. Whenever he has been asked, he has always delivered. He has had to wait for his chance, because he has been up against serious competition for places, but he has absolutely gone in and done brilliantly. “If someone needs to be told something, I’ll tell them. Lewis, he has had some bashings off me and Joe over the years, but he has never brought any of his moves out on us,” Duff joked. The champions may not have started with the same pace as they did last season, but they are in fourth place, one point off Galway and St Pat’s, and two adrift of leaders Drogheda. “I thought we started off a bit nervous, a bit of apprehension in our play. We defender really well for the 95/96/97 minutes and I just think, with the ball, we grew consistently,” Duff said. “I think it was there for everyone to see. I think in the second half we looked really dangerous. I think we’d the best chances on the night and, as the game wore on, they looked tired, dead on their feet. We just grew and grew. “We haven’t been playing badly. I think things can snowball and spiral out of control. If you go through all of our games, we started off well, six points out of six, Rovers, Galway, dominated the two games. After that, Drogheda, individual mistake, 1-0 down after three minutes but dominated the game. Related Reads Stalemate as challengers St Pat's miss chance to make mark against champions Shels Grassroots says FAI has 'uncorked overwhelming anger and created an atmosphere impossible to work in' Tactics in the shower and on Snapchat: Obsession fuels Brandon Kavanagh's League of Ireland rise “Cork was the only game that still pees me off. For 45 minutes, we went out for a stroll in the park. After that, we got a reaction, a draw, OK, fine. Sligo, it was never going to be pretty. “Round one games in Ireland at times, pitches, whatever reason, we found a way because that’s what Shelbourne Football Club do and, [last night], I couldn’t be any prouder of them. We defended amazingly well for 95 minutes. As the game wore on, we played some brilliant, brilliant football. That’s a quick synopsis of our league round one in two minutes.” David Sneyd Viewcomments Send Tip or Correction Embed this post To embed this post, copy the code below on your site Email “From world champion kickboxer to heart of Shels defence - Damien Duff hails 'incredible' Lewis Temple”. Recipient's Email Feedback on “From world champion kickboxer to heart of Shels defence - Damien Duff hails 'incredible' Lewis Temple”. Your Feedback Your Email (optional) Report a Comment Please select the reason for reporting this comment. Please give full details of the problem with the comment... This is YOUR comments community. Stay civil, stay constructive, stay on topic. Please familiarise yourself with our comments policy before taking part. Leave a Comment Submit a report Please help us understand how this comment violates our community guidelines. Damaging the good reputation of someone, slander, or libel. Racism or Hate speech An attack on an individual or group based on religion, race, gender, or beliefs. Trolling or Off-topic An attempt to derail the discussion. Inappropriate language Profanity, obscenity, vulgarity, or slurs. Advertising, phishing, scamming, bots, or repetitive posts. Please provide additional information Thank you for the feedback Your feedback has been sent to our team for review. Leave a commentcancel Access to the comments facility has been disabled for this user View our policy ⚠️ Duplicate comment Post Comment have your say Or create a free account to join the discussion League of Ireland new discipline 743 appearances, 247 goals, 33 trophies, 25 years: Thomas Muller to leave Bayern Munich FreePGA Tour Harman goes four clear as Harrington and Power miss Texas Open cut 19 mins ago FreeFormula One Verstappen leaves McLarens behind to claim Japanese Grand Prix pole position 29 mins ago Use Your Vote Poll: Who will win the Connacht football championship? Connacht embrace the chaos as Devine gets his chance in potential season-definer How is every county shaping up as All-Ireland football championship starts? the red army 'They were Portuguese lads in their early 20s supporting Munster!' Murray Kinsella Reports from La Rochelle As it happened Greece v Ireland, Nations League As it happened St Pat's v Shelbourne, Galway Utd v Shamrock Rovers - LOI Premier Division big hitters Leinster fully loaded for Croke Park clash with Harlequins Ex-Man United player keen to return after considering quitting football more from us Investigates Daft.ie Property Magazine Allianz Home Magazine The 42 Sports Magazine Money Diaries The Journal TV Journal Media Advertise With Us About FactCheck Our Network FactCheck Knowledge Bank Terms & Legal Notices Terms of Use Cookies & Privacy Advertising Competition more from us TV Listings GAA Fixtures The Video Review Journal Media Advertise With Us Our Network The Journal FactCheck Knowledge Bank Terms & Legal Notices Terms of Use Cookies & Privacy Advertising Competition © 2025 Journal Media Ltd Terms of Use Cookies & Privacy Advertising Competition Switch to Desktop Switch to Mobile The 42 supports the work of the Press Council of Ireland and the Office of the Press Ombudsman, and our staff operate within the Code of Practice. You can obtain a copy of the Code, or contact the Council, at https://www.presscouncil.ie, PH: (01) 6489130, Lo-Call 1800 208 080 or email: mailto:info@presscouncil.ie Report an error, omission or problem: Your Email (optional) Create Email Alert Create an email alert based on the current article Email Address One email every morning As soon as new articles come online Sign in or create a free account To continue reading create a free account Or sign into an existing account