Bohemian FC is delighted to announce the signing of centre-back Alex Lacey.

The 31-year-old joins with a wealth of experience in England with Luton Town, Yeovil Town, Notts County, Gillingham and Hartlepool United.

Lacey is the sixth new arrival of the closed season so far, following today’s earlier signing of Connor Parsons and the previous additions of Colm Whelan, Niall Morahan and John Mountney, and loan signing of Kian Best.

Manager Alan Reynolds said:

“Alex is a really experienced centre-back with hundreds of games under his belt at really good levels in England.

“He has been in with us in the past couple of weeks and we have been really impressed with what we have seen from him. His attitude and the help he has given the younger players in the squad has been first class. 

“He was due to go play in the United States but that fell through, which has thankfully benefited us as he is exactly what we needed – a 6ft 2in dominant and good centre-half who we have seen already will fit in really well with the group. We’re delighted to get him in.”

Lacey said: 

“I’ve really enjoyed my time with the club over the last couple of weeks. After meeting Rennie and the team, I felt right at home straight away.

“There is a really good set-up here, everyone has been really welcoming and everyone is working hard to push on this season.

“I flew in for the friendly against Cork City and I couldn’t wait to get back over here again after that.

“It’s obviously a new league for me and a new experience moving to Ireland, so I’m relishing it now.

“The results we have had in pre-season have been positive and the performances have been positive too, so there is a good foundation there to build on.

“There is good balance in the team, with plenty of experience and good young players too. I feel my experience playing in England can benefit the players around me, particularly the young players.

“I’m really excited to get started now. Having the opening game in the national stadium against your rivals will be a big occasion, and it’s something we are really looking forward to.”

Bohemian FC is delighted to confirm the signing of winger Connor Parsons on a multi-year deal.

The 24-year-old former Waterford player joins from Dagenham and Redbridge, subject to international clearance (ITC).

Parsons is the fifth new arrival of the closed season so far, following the permanent signings of Colm Whelan, Niall Morahan and John Mountney, and loan signing of Kian Best.

Manager Alan Reynolds said:

“Connor is a really talented winger with electric pace, who will bring great energy to our side and excite our supporters.

“He is a player I’ve wanted to bring to the club for some time. We tried to get him at the end of last season so I’m delighted that we’ve been able to get him now.

“He is someone I have worked with before at Waterford so I know the qualities he will bring. 

“He is a really quick and direct wide player. He knows the league well now, and he is going to be a brilliant addition to our squad.”

Parsons said:

“I am absolutely buzzing. Bohemians is a massive club. I know from the two years I’ve had here with Waterford how incredible the fans here and the backing they give the players here at Dalymount and on the road as well, so I can’t wait to get started.

“This move feels so right for me, and I’m delighted that everything worked out in the end and that I’ve been able to sign.

“I have a great relationship with Rennie from our time together at Waterford. He is someone who knows how to get the best out of me. One-v-ones is what I love best. Dribbling with the ball, getting the team up the pitch and playing with freedom. I like to be exciting and I hope the fans will see that. 

“I just can’t wait to get started now. I know everyone is really looking forward to the first game of the season. What a game to kick off the season with at the Aviva Stadium. 

“It will mean everything for that to be my first game in a Bohs shirt. It will be a massive occasion and we want to build momentum from the start, so I will be doing everything I can in training between now and then to ensure I am a part of it.”

Bohemian FC is delighted to announce the signing of left-back Kian Best on loan from Preston North End.

The England U19 international came through the Preston academy system and made his first-team breakthrough last season, making 13 appearances in the English Championship.

On loan until the end of June, Best is the fourth new arrival of the closed season so far, following the permanent signings of Colm Whelan, Niall Morahan and John Mountney.

Welcoming Best to Dalymount Park, manager Alan Reynolds said: “I am delighted to get Kian on board. He comes with a really good pedigree having played a significant number of games at a very high level in the English Championship with Preston.

“He is exactly the kind of quality that will strengthen our squad. He is a really exciting talent, he’s young and is clearly hungry to push on.

“He respects the league, is delighted to join the club and has made a brave decision to move away from home to push himself forward. 

“Left-back is a position we wanted to strengthen. We have taken our time to find the right fit, as we are with other positions, but we want to get the right players for the right positions and I feel we have done that with Kian, who is a really stylish left-back that we are really looking forward to working with.”

Best said: “I’m really looking forward to getting started. It’s been a bit of a whirlwind few days and I’m delighted to be here and to show what I can do.

“I know about the league, I’ve played with a lot of Irish players and they speak very highly of the league. I know Greg Cunningham at Galway well from his time at Preston.

“I spoke to Robbie Brady too, and he told me how good the standard here is and how coming here would be a really good move for me.

“I’ve had a really good year or so with Preston, the experience of playing for the first team at my age will really stand to me.

“It’s made me want to play more, and that’s what I want to do here. I’ve spoken to the manager here and I’m looking forward to how he wants to play. I’m a defender first and foremost, but I like to get the ball at my feet, be creative and make things happen.

“I know the first game of the season at the Aviva Stadium is going to be a massive occasion for the club so I’ll be working really hard over the next few weeks because I want to be a part of that.”

Bohemian FC is delighted to announce the appointment of our former player Gary Deegan to the role of academy development coach.

The 37-year-old returns to the club where he made his big breakthrough as a player, winning back-to-back league titles and an FAI Cup during his 18-month stint in 2008 and 2009.

He went on to spend the next decade in England and Scotland, returning to the League of Ireland in 2020 to line out for Shelbourne before spending the last four seasons with Drogheda United.

He hung up his boots at the end of the 2024 season with an FAI Cup winners’ medal, and is now relishing his first role in coaching.

Deegan said: “I’m really happy to be here, this is a club I am obviously very familiar with. 

“Bohs put me on my path as a player, pushed me and drove me. Now I find myself on the other side, where I can push and motivate younger kids. 

“I feel I am in a position where I can help the younger generation. That is something that I am really excited to be part of.

“Football is in me, it is something I am very passionate about and after speaking with Trevor Croly and Pat Fenlon, I felt this role is something that was right for me, and I think we are going to be a good match.”

Head of Academy Trevor Croly said: “Gary is going to be great for the academy. He is a great link to Bohs’ past, he was very successful here as a player; as recently as last year winning the FAI Cup with Drogheda United.

“The experiences he brings from his own career is going to be significant for players we are bringing through. From his experiences here in the League of Ireland to the journey he went on in England and Scotland, he has so much to delve on.

“We have talented young players here looking to break into the first team and become senior pros. Having someone like Gary with the knowledge and experience of being in their shoes will really benefit them. 

“He has a winning mentality, he has a real drive and he is someone who clearly wants to graft and be successful. He’s delighted to be there, he has great energy, and we are really pleased to have him on board with us.”

Bohemian FC is delighted to confirm that centre-back Declan Osagie has signed his first professional contract with the club.

Having played his schoolboy football with his hometown club Edenderry Town, Osagie joined the Bohs U17s in the summer of 2023 from Klub Kildare. He has impressed since all the way up to U20s level, and featured for the first team in Leinster Senior Cup games last season.

The 18-year-old, who is sitting his Leaving Cert this year, joins academy graduates Rhys Brennan, Markuss Strods, Joe Collins, Chris Conlan, Billy Gilmore and Seán Moore on professional contracts.

First-team manager Alan Reynolds said: “Declan is a really talented young player, a right-sided centre-back. He came to train with the first team towards the end of last season and we have been really impressed with him.

“He’s still very young, and he knows he has a lot of work to do, but he is big and strong, and we have very high hopes for him.

“The work being done at academy level over the last number of years is bearing fruit now. Bohs have had a reputation of bringing quality players through – you only have to look at the likes of Ross Tierney, Dawson Devoy and Cian Byrne in the first team, as well as many others who’ve gone further afield.

“The club is again now in a position where we have a solid group of young, talented players coming up from the academy teams now, training with the first team and with the ability to play themselves into contention, and we are enjoying working more closely with them in pre-season, letting them show us what they are capable of, and getting them up to speed.”

Bohemian FC Head of Academy Trevor Croly said: “This is great for Declan, great for his family and great for the club.

“This is reward for all the dedicated hard work Declan has put in over the past couple of years and that his family put in for him too; Declan’s mam drives him up from Edenderry everyday.

“Declan knows this is just the first step for him, as it is for all other players when they sign their first contracts. The work really starts now and he is aware of that.

“The good news for the club is that we have players like Declan and others now who are ready to make that next step and step up to the first team, and there are now more coming behind them which is a huge positive for the club.”

Osagie said: “I am buzzing. It’s nice to get this opportunity and to be in with the first team more regularly. The coaches tell me to keep working hard, to listen to the advice the senior players around me are giving me, and that I will get my chance when the time is right.

“You look at players like Cian Byrne in my own position who have come through the academy all the way up. It’s good to see that that pathway is there. Hopefully I can do the same. Him and the other lads are helping me out, giving me advice when I am with them.”

Bohemian FC is delighted to announce a schools and clubs offer for U16s for our historic Dublin Derby SSE Airtricity Men’s Premier Division season opener against Shamrock Rovers at the Aviva Stadium on Sunday February 16.

Register here: https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=J4TEMnpsjU-111CSOsx7t_JRhVfaC0ZGgfvJShvNnzVUNVpFVVNWTkxSTzRCOUdLRUFLMTNLMVBOWS4u&origin=lprLink&route=shorturl

For the schools and clubs offer, U16 tickets are priced at €10 each and, for every 10 purchased, we will provide two adult tickets at the discounted price of €15 each.

Any additional adult tickets ordered outside of this ratio will cost €25 each. The minimum requirement to register an order under the clubs and schools group booking scheme is 10 U16 tickets and two Adult tickets.

Please note that the FAI are processing all ticket requests directly so any queries or questions must be sent to customer-relations@fai.ie.

Bohemian FC can confirm the departure of Alex Greive.

The New Zealand international joined from St Mirren in July, and played 15 times for Bohs during his short time at the club, scoring twice.

Manager Alan Reynolds said: “Alex was one of a number of players we brought to the club midway through what was a difficult season and gave us important options as we tried to freshen the squad up and improve competition for places.

“He worked extremely hard during his time here and had a positive impact on the team. We’ve had the squad back in preseason over the past number of weeks and we sat down with Alex before Christmas and we agreed that now was the right time for him to move on and seek opportunities elsewhere.

“We wish him all the very best for the future and thank him for his contribution over the past number of months.”

Congratulations to all prize winners from our annual Christmas Draw.

A huge thanks to all who supported this important fundraiser, and to Jimmy O’Connor and all his ticket sellers and organising team.

The results from our Early Bird and Halloween draws can be found below.

EARLY BIRD DRAW
24 November 2024
5 Prizes of €200 & 5 Prizes of €100

€200 – Órlaith Sheridan, ticket no. 0573 (seller Arthur Sheridan)
€200 – Sean Quinn, 2544
€200 – Paul Farrell, 1650 (Carmine)
€200 – Paul Maguire, 0764 (Seany Maguire)
€200 – Ann Wynne, 0889 (Ruaídhrí O’Connor)
€100 – Aidan Ingoldsby, 2796
€100 – Lauren O’Connor, 1215 (Colly O’Connor)
€100 – Brian Kelly, 0085 (Joe O’Boyle)
€100 – Tommy O’Connor, 0853 (Self)
€100 – Aidan Ingoldsby, 2798

HALLOWEEN DRAW
27 October 2024
10 Prizes of €100

Frances Dunne – ticket no. 1562 – seller: Jimmy O’Connor
David McManus – 0694 – seller: Self
Julie Shanley – 1038 – seller: Mick Greene
Gerard Flynn – 1009 – seller: Pat Flynn
Gary Delahunty – 1233 – seller: Franc Delahunty
Sandra McDonagh – 0320 – seller: Liam McDonagh
Stephen Dornan – 1891 – seller: Self
Colette Kelly – 1112 – seller: Jimmy O’Connor
Adrian Dunne – 2070 – seller: Self
Carina McNally – 2339 – seller: Seamus

1st
€2,024
0610
Lewis Spain
Vinny Bracken
2nd
€1,500
1070
Gordon Frawley
Earl Celtic
3rd
€1,000
0292
Alice Murphy
Liam McDonagh
4th
€750
1464
The Confession Box
John Byrne
5th
€500
1831
Daniel O’Connor
Online
6th
€250
1825
Basil Curran
Online
7th
€200
2235
Bernie Cassidy
Craig Norton
8th
€200
0488
Catherine Grant
Des Parsons
9th
€200
0799
Jesse Travers
John Watson
10th
€200
0063
Andy O’Hara
Joe Boyle
11th
€200
1009
Gerard Flynn
Pat Flynn
12th
€200
0665
Joe Greene
Mick McManus
13th
€200
2675
Anthony Kelly
–
14th
€200
1335
Hannah & Elle Ferns
Stephen Burke
15th
€200
0786
Ian Watson
John Watson
16th
€200
2313
Conal Devine
Online
17th
€100
0593
Eoin O’Callaghan
Seamus Greene
18th
€100
1504
Alan Mooney
Ursula
19th
€100
1420
Willy O’Brien
Jimmy O’Connor
20th
€100
2507
Celine Maher
–
21st
€100
1052
William Parsons
Liam Parsons
22nd
€100
0807
John Watson
Self
23rd
€100
1502
Adam Bardon
Ursula
24th
€100
2063
David Lennon
Online
25th
€100
2119
Paul Dunne
Online
26th
€100
0280
Juliann Adamson
Liam McDonagh
27th
€100
2051
Rory Cronin
Online
28th
€100
1117
Campbell Spray
Jimmy O’Connor
29th
€100
0078
Anthony Donnelly
Joe O’Boyle
30th
€100
1262
Mark Donovan
Jimmy
31st
€100
0025
Lynn O’Boyle
Joe O’Boyle

Bohemian FC is delighted to announce the appointment of Ger Rowe as manager of our WU17s.

The former Shelbourne, St Pat’s, Shamrock Rovers and Dundalk striker takes over the reins from Alban Hysa, who was earlier this month appointed manager of the women’s senior team.

Rowe said: “I’m delighted with this opportunity. Bohs are a club who take pride in nurturing and developing young talent and I can’t wait to be a part of that.

“I think the club has seen the benefit of trusting young players and giving them a pathway from the academy teams right up to the first team and I’m looking forward to playing my part in that process.

“There are already great structures in place at the club and talented players in the age group, and I’m delighted that Aodhán Kennedy will continue as part of the coaching team. His knowledge of and rapport with the players is very important.

“It’s an exciting time for women’s football with more and more girls playing football now than ever before.

“Bohs is a club that is serious about harnessing the potential to grow the women’s game here and to developing and supporting players in the right way, so I can’t wait to get started.”

It’s your last chance to purchase tickets ahead of tonight’s annual Christmas Draw with €10,000 in cash prizes still up for grabs!

Tickets – one for €20 or three for €50 – are available from our online store.

There are over 30 cash prizes to be won tonight – 1st: €2024, 2nd: €1500, 3rd: €1000, 4th: €750, 5th: €500, 6th: €250, 10 x €200 and 15 x €100.

The annual Christmas Draw is one of the most important fundraising efforts for the club every year.

We ask those who are in a position to support this effort to do so, and we congratulate all the winners from our Early Bird and Halloween draws.

Best of luck tonight to all have purchased a ticket!

The results from our Early Bird and Halloween draws can be found below.

EARLY BIRD DRAW
24 November 2024
5 Prizes of €200 & 5 Prizes of €100

€200 – Órlaith Sheridan, ticket no. 0573 (seller Arthur Sheridan)
€200 – Sean Quinn, 2544
€200 – Paul Farrell, 1650 (Carmine)
€200 – Paul Maguire, 0764 (Seany Maguire)
€200 – Ann Wynne, 0889 (Ruaídhrí O’Connor)
€100 – Aidan Ingoldsby, 2796
€100 – Lauren O’Connor, 1215 (Colly O’Connor)
€100 – Brian Kelly, 0085 (Joe O’Boyle)
€100 – Tommy O’Connor, 0853 (Self)
€100 – Aidan Ingoldsby, 2798

HALLOWEEN DRAW
27 October 2024
10 Prizes of €100

Frances Dunne – ticket no. 1562 – seller: Jimmy O’Connor
David McManus – 0694 – seller: Self
Julie Shanley – 1038 – seller: Mick Greene
Gerard Flynn – 1009 – seller: Pat Flynn
Gary Delahunty – 1233 – seller: Franc Delahunty
Sandra McDonagh – 0320 – seller: Liam McDonagh
Stephen Dornan – 1891 – seller: Self
Colette Kelly – 1112 – seller: Jimmy O’Connor
Adrian Dunne – 2070 – seller: Self
Carina McNally – 2339 – seller: Seamus