Shelbourne manager Damien hailed his side's SSE Airtricity League Premier Division title triumph as the 'pinnacle of his professional career.’
Harry Wood was the Shels hero on the night, as his late strike ensured they secured the Premier Division title with a 1-0 victory away to Derry City, who until last week, had been right in the title race.
With Shamrock Rovers beating Waterford 2-1 in Tallaght Stadium, only a win would have secured the title for Shels, who have sat atop the league table for most of the season.
With the game in the Brandywell still scoreless with minutes to go, tensions were high before Wood stepped up to knock home a rebound from close range.
That goal was enough to see Shels pip Rovers at the top and win the league by two points.
"I've openly said the last few weeks would be the pinnacle of my professional career and this absolutely wipes the floor with the rest of it," he said.
"Commiserations to Stephen [Bradley], it was a two-horse race tonight, But obviously Ruaidhrí [Higgins] and a couple more [were in contention]. But I think we were worthy winners tonight, there was a real flatness around the ground, so bizarrely, it was probably a good game to have.
"We totally deserved to win the league and the best team is the winner, I think we can openly say we were the best team.
"We've always been told since they got here three years ago, ‘you're not good enough’, ‘you'll never win it’, you're this, you're that.
"If you put your mind to anything, and you work hard and you dedicate your life to it, you can do anything you want. That's what my players have done."
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Duff has been in charge of Shelbourne for three season now, having led them to an FAI Cup final in their first campaign and European qualification in their second.
The Shelbourne boss believes that he has improved as a manager in that time and put his success down, at least partially, to a more relaxed attitude.
"Maybe I've grown as a manager. I remember two years ago, the cup final against Derry, I was working 24 seven doing this, doing that," he said.
"Last night I went out for a glass of wine with my wife. I guess I'm relaxed and it's, I always think that the players mirror how I am. So that's helped.
"But to come up here to the Brandywell, to Derry City, who are a wonderful team, wonderful players, wonderful manager.
"You talk about Leicester City a few years back and Hollywood stories. This is Hollywood and no disrespect all the great managers and players that have won titles before, but for me, this is the greatest story."
