Bohemian Football Club is delighted to confirm the signing of forward James Akintunde from Derry City on a multi-year deal.

The 26-year-old Englishman joins after three seasons on Foyleside having been signed for the Candystripes by Declan Devine in 2020.

Looking forward to being reunited with the frontman, Bohs manager Devine said: “When James became available it was a no-brainer for me to try to bring him to Bohemians.

“I brought him to Ireland, and I know all of his qualities and attributes. He will offer us tremendous versatility in the front three positions.

“He also knows the league now, has proven himself over the last number of years here, and is an even better player than when I brought him to Derry City.

“He will give 110% effort in training and in games, and ticks all the boxes of the kind of player we want and need to have at the club.”

Akintunde said: “I am so grateful for this opportunity to sign for such a big club.

“I have been in Ireland for several seasons, and I am really looking forward to a new chapter in my career.

“I know Declan Devine from the past and that was a big part in me wanting to come here.

“I am really looking forward to working with him again. He has brought in some really good players too, and I cannot wait to meet them, the staff and supporters.

“It is an exciting time for the club. Going full-time will make a massive difference. It will bring great togetherness and help build a team spirit right from the start.

“I have always enjoyed playing at Dalymount Park too, and I’ve scored a few goals there! So I hope I can score a lot more now.”

Bohemian FC is delighted to confirm the appointment of Gary Cronin as men’s first-team assistant manager to Declan Devine.

The club can also confirm that Derek Pender’s dedicated service to the club will continue into its 12th year as he remains as first-team coach next season.

Meanwhile, as the first team transitions to morning training and a full-time set-up next season, we are delighted to confirm that Trevor Croly, having served as assistant manager for the past six seasons, will now assume a new role within the club’s academy.

Cronin comes to Dalymount having managed Longford Town last season. His footballing career is synonymous with Longford and Bray Wanderers having played for, coached and managed both clubs.

Cronin said: “After speaking to people within this club over the past number of weeks, everyone speaks about Bohemians with pride and with their chest out, and rightfully so.

“I am really looking forward to joining a club that will be operating in a proper full-time environment. It is something that I have always wanted to do, and I can’t wait to get started.

“It is a fresh start for the club. Declan has come in and I am really impressed about his plans for what he wants to do. I want to support him and be a part of that.

“For me, I am bringing experience to the club from my time as both a coach and a manager in this league. It is important for Declan to have that behind him as this is a massive club and he has a massive job. He needs to be able to rely on me and the rest of the backroom team.

“This is a unique club in terms of its model in this country. It has started to dawn on me that when we lead the team out next year, a couple of thousand of the people in the ground are owners of this club.

“This is their club, so it is our job as a backroom team to make sure that the football team gives everything for those people.

“The atmosphere in Dalymount is something special. It was always a great atmosphere when I came here to play against Bohs. The place can be electric, the fans are close to the pitch, and they get behind their team.

“I have always felt Dalymount was a great place to come and play football. There is a huge history here and we want to add to that.”

Devine said: “I have watched Gary’s progress as a coach and manager from afar and he is someone I have been really, really impressed with.

“I watched Gary’s teams at Bray and Longford, and I have always been impressed with how they have been set up and how his sides express themselves, and many players that Gary has coached and helped develop have gone on to be extremely successful.

“He will be a huge asset as we evolve into a full-time set-up. I am delighted to welcome him to the club, and I think players and staff will really take to him.

“For me it was really important to keep Derek Pender at the club too. When you come to a club for the first time, you try to assess the people around you.

“What I have seen from Detser is incredible dedication, and someone who is going to have a fantastic future in coaching. This club means absolutely everything to him and he is the kind of person I want working with me.

“I am also delighted that Trevor has committed to staying with the club.

“He has already contributed so much to this club in his six years here, and the wealth of experience and knowledge of the game that he has from his time at this club, but also from managing and coaching in the league for 17 years, will be an absolutely incredible addition to our academy structure as we look to continue to develop and bring players through to the first team.”

A Night for Mono, organised by the One Up Top podcast, is being held on Sunday November 27 at Vicar Street.

All profits will go directly to the family of our sorely-missed friend, colleague and Mr Bohemians, Derek ‘Mono’ Monaghan.

A stellar line-up of music, comedy, interviews and more is in store.

It is not all Bohs either – there is something for everyone and we welcome everyone from the League of Ireland community and beyond.

What we have on the night:

• Music from Ireland’s premium Oasis tribute band Live Forever
• Comedy from Après Match’s Barry Murphy
• Magic and more from the one and only Jack Wise
• Stories from Eric Lalor and PJ Gallagher
• Sit-down chats with former and current Bohs players and staff by the One Up Top duo
• And a lot of laughs along the way from start to finish!
• We urge supporters who are in a position to do so to buy a ticket – even if they cannot attend – to share the socials, and to support the night as best they can.

We want to show the Monaghan family that we are always there for them, just like Mono was always there for us.

• Tickets are available from Ticketmaster: https://www.ticketmaster.ie/a-night-for-mono-one-up-top-podcast-dublin-27-11-2022/event/18005D53D5F06127

Bohemian Football Club is delighted to announce the return of defender Paddy Kirk on a multi-year deal.

Kirk, who came through the Bohs U19s before making his first-team bow in 2018, returns to Dalymount Park after two years away during which time he has had spells with Longford Town and Sligo Rovers respectively.

He is the third new signing of ahead of the 2023 season following the arrivals of Keith Buckley and Adam McDonnell.

Kirk, 24, said: “I am proud and grateful to have the opportunity to play for the club again.

“Having seen last year, I wanted to come back and try and make things better. To have the opportunity to do that, it means more now, and I am as excited as I have ever been.

“I feel I’m coming back a better player, a better person, and with a different mentality.

“When I came through the club, initially through the U19s, I never expected to get the kind of praise and support that I got. It was unbelievable. That’s what made it so difficult to leave, so it was definitely a huge factor in me coming back here.

“Obviously when I left, having come through the U19s, I was always trying to prove myself and establish myself here. But going away for a couple of years and actually going and playing regularly has allowed me to disconnect and really focus on myself and my football, and where I could improve on that.

“I perhaps focused too much on the emotions, on this being my club when I was here first, so going away really allowed me to focus on my game and, coming back now, I feel I am a more rounded footballer as a result of that.”

Full-back Kirk admits he is impressed with new manager Declan Devine’s plans and is looking forward to what the future can bring when the club returns to a full-time and morning training set-up in the new year.

He said: “It was always in my head that I wanted to come back but it’s not something I wanted to rush either, and I wouldn’t have done it if I didn’t feel the club was going to be in the right place next year.

“When I met with Declan, I was a little cautious before meeting him that I didn’t want to jump straight in at the first opportunity. But from talking to Declan, you could tell straight away that he has the right values and that he wants the right things for the club.

“That was really important for me, and in terms of the environment I am going into, he will make sure it is the right one.

“So it wasn’t a case of jumping back at the first opportunity, it was measured. But from talking to Declan, what he wants for the club, and the players he wants to bring in, it was clear it was the right time to come back.

“If we implement everything Declan says and that the group wants, qualifying for Europe will hopefully become a natural step in that.

“But the main thing, from the outside looking in, is to get it back to where it was in terms of our mentality, to what it means to people, how we approach games, the atmosphere around the place, and everything else that goes with that.

“They are the most important things, and everything on the pitch, and qualifying for Europe, are byproducts of that.

“In terms of development and as individuals, going full-time, even when you are not in training, there is more time to recover. Your rest and your whole life is geared towards football, which can only have a positive effect on the pitch.

“In previous years, so many of us were going from work to training or to games. It has flipped now that you are here to be a professional footballer and that can only be a good thing.”

Welcoming Kirk back to Dalymount, Devine said: “He is a player I wanted to get in from the start. I said when I took over that I wanted players who knew what the club and its values were about, and Paddy fits that bill.

“I feel that he is coming back to the club a better player than when he left having played for a few seasons at other clubs.

“I am really looking forward to working with him. I feel he is a player that will excite the fans, but also excite the players we have at the club and excite the kind of player we are trying to attract to the club in terms of his quality as a player and qualities as a person.

“He is another really, really important part of the jigsaw for next season, but we know we have much more work to do too.”

Bohemian Football Club is delighted to announce the signing of midfielder Adam McDonnell from Sligo Rovers on a multi-year deal.

Welcoming McDonnell to Dalymount Park, manager Declan Devine said: “It was refreshing to sit down with a player who is so really keen to get on board with this club.

“He is hard-working, technically-gifted, has had a great year with Sligo Rovers, fits the profile of the player I want to bring to the club, and he can’t wait to get started.

“I am delighted to get him in and I am really looking forward to working with him.”

McDonnell, 25, began his professional career with Shelbourne in 2014 before moving to England where he lined out for Ipswich Town, Aldershot and Boreham Wood.

He said: “Declan didn’t need to sell the club to me. I know so much about it already.

“I’m from Blanch myself, and a lot of people out my way are Bohs fans. I have  friends who are fans of the club and have friends who played for the club.

“When I was younger, and when I was away in England, I always looked out for the club’s results.

“But Declan has told me the plans for next year, going full-time, and obviously that made it even easier to sign. The club is better than where it finished in the league this season, so Declan has come in and wants to change that.

“We know what we want to do next year. We want to get our heads down and get Europe. There is no reason why we can’t do that.

“When I saw Keith Buckley coming back to the club and James Talbot re-signing, for me they were massive signings. It is a great start.

“I know JT from when we were kids at Home Farm and Tolka Rovers so I know him really well and how talented he is. He’ll be like a new signing for the club.

“I work hard and I play with my heart. I like to put my foot in, but at the same time I am creative, calm on the ball, and have a tenacious side that you need in this league.

“So for me, I am just looking forward to getting my head down and cracking on, and I can’t wait to play in front of a packed Dalymount next season.”

Ireland manager Stephen Kenny has encouraged supporters to show their appreciation for Lynn O’Neill’s 40-year service to Bohemians when a testimonial game in her honour is held at Dalymount Park this Friday.

Tickets, priced at €10 for adults and €5 for children/concession are available from tickets.bohemians.ie.

Friday’s game, which kicks off at 7.45pm, will see two teams of Bohemians legends face-off. The management teams will see Kenny in charge of one team alongside Keith Long, while fellow former Bohs managers Pat Fenlon and Turlough O’Connor will be in the opposing dugout.

Kenny, who managed Bohs to a league title in 2003, said: “Lynn is a consummate professional at all levels, she is the fulcrum of Bohemian Football Club and an important aspect behind-the-scenes.

“She is highly-respected throughout Irish football and, apart from professional duties, her passion for the club is remarkable, following on from her father Noel who was once a committee member.

“Bohemians is part of her life and she has been with the club through the good and the difficult times.

“Even through those difficult times, she does her work with fun and laughter; she is a very calming presence to all, which transmits throughout the club.

“Everyone was always made welcome, she has always had a warm smile and was there for you, and indeed everyone, no matter whether Bohs won, drew or lost.

“When I joined Bohemians in 2001, I was a very young manager and she was very welcoming and supportive towards me.

“She has made a great contribution to the club, one which has gone way beyond any expectations and, of course, she will be sorely missed but she can leave the club proud of her impact through the years.

“She is very proud of the club and Bohemians are rightly very proud of her.

“I wish her the best wishes in her retirement, and I hope that Bohs fans will show their appreciation for her on Friday.”

Meanwhile, fans are encouraged to send a short video message, via WhatsApp on 086 076 3943, to Lynn. The messages will be shown at Friday’s game.

Bohemians Legends XI 1: Brian Murphy, Lee Steacy, Derek Pender, Paul McNally, Robbie Best, Conor Powell, Annmarie Byrne, Maurice O’Driscoll, Paul Byrne, Keith Ward, Isobel Finnegan, James Keddy, Dave Tilson, Dinny Corcoran, Trevor Molloy, Derek Swan, Neale Fenn, Robbie Doyle.

Bohemians Legends XI 2: Dermot O’Neill, Shane Supple, Owen Heary, Tony O’Connor, Mark Rossiter, Anto Murphy, Liam Burns, Alan Byrne, Ian Morris, Stephen Caffrey, Bobby Ryan, Killian Brennan, Paddy Kavanagh, Glen Crowe, Jason Byrne, Abbie Brophy, Eric Lalor.

Ahead of Bohemians’ final league game of 2022, against Sligo Rovers at Dalymount Park at 7pm this evening, new manager Declan Devine addressed supporters directly.

Please note that while tickets for the Jodi Stand are sold out for the game, Des Kelly Stand tickets remain on sale from tickets.bohemians.ie.

Writing in the matchday programme for the first time, Devine thanked members and fans for their support during what has been a difficult season on and off the pitch, looked ahead to next season with enthusiasm, and called for support for Lynn O’Neill’s testimonial game, which takes place this Friday at Dalyount Park.

Devine said:

It is with great pride that I write my first message as manager of this wonderful and prestigious football club and thank you for the amazing reception I have received since moving to Dublin.

Although this is the last game of a very disappointing season on the pitch, we will be doing everything in our power to finish this campaign off with a win.

I have watched this club from afar and before moving to morning training and a professional full-time set-up in January 2023, I believe we should acknowledge with great thanks the incredible work and hours that Keith Long put into the club over his eight years of service. I am sure we will see Keith back in Irish football very soon and I wish him every success in the future.

The last few weeks have given me an invaluable opportunity to assess all aspects of the club and footballing structures. The current league position and results of this season have not been anywhere near good enough for a club of this magnitude and I will work every hour to build a squad of players to help us to get back to challenging for honours and have a team that you as members and supporters can relate to in our work ethic and style of play.

I sincerely thank you, our supporters, for the high level of attendance and for sticking with the team in what has, as stated already, been a frustrating season.

With the work that is underway to move the away section to Connaught Street next season to free up the Des Kelly Stand for Bohs fans, we are all looking forward to having even more people in the ground behind us. We want to give our community something to cheer about. Hopefully we can get the buzz and energy back into this historic stadium, and really have a go at bringing silverware back to Dalymount Park.

It has been a really tough year off the pitch also with the devastating loss of club legend Mono, and as a club that takes care of our own, we will always remember and support Derek’s wife Elayne and young family.

Another incredible servant to our club, Lynn O’Neill, retires at the end of the season and we thank Lynn for an unbelievable 40 years’ service to Bohemian Football Club and wish her every happiness in her retirement. I urge as many supporters as possible to come out and support her testimonial game here on Friday November 11th where real Bohs legends will play in her honour. Tickets are available from tickets.bohemians.ie.

To finish my first message to the fans, please continue to get behind the team and I look forward to building a squad for next season that we will all be proud of.

Enjoy the game,

Declan

TEAM NEWS

Bohemians are once again without the injured Jon McCraken, James Talbot, Ryan Burke, Laurenz Dehl, Tyreke Wilson, John O’Sullivan, Chris Lotefa, Johnny Afolabi and Junior Ogedi-Uzokwe.

Bohemian Football Club is delighted to announce that goalkeeper James Talbot has penned a new multi-year contract.

Talbot, 25, came to Dalymount Park ahead of the 2019 season. His form during his time at the club has cemented him as a firm fans’ favourite, seen him the club’s Player of the Year Award, and earned him call-ups to the Ireland squad under both Mick McCarthy and Stephen Kenny.

Manager Declan Devine said: “James is the best goalkeeper in Ireland and he has been a huge loss to the team this year through injury.

“When you’re a manager coming to a new club, you want to keep your best players, so to have James committing his future to the club is something that I am really looking forward to.

“My first two signings for next season – Keith Buckley and James – are two Bohs stalwarts; people who I believe can drive us on to success.

“I look at James and what I see is everything I want as a person and as a player. His affiliation to the club and how much the fans hold him in high esteem means everything.

“In terms of building for the future, and bringing in other players of James’ calibre, keeping him and bringing Bucko back, is a sign of intent in terms of what I want to build here.

“I want good, quality players who care, so it is a genuine pleasure for me to come to a club that has a person of James’ magnitude here already.”

After signing his new contract, Talbot reflected on a disappointing year but looked forward to next season with enthusiasm.

He said: “I am over the moon to re-sign. I am humbled to be offered another great opportunity to stay at such a club that I hold dearly to me.

“This club has provided me with countless opportunities which I am thankful for. I had considered travelling assisted by football and that is something I might do in the future, but the club going properly full-time next season is an exciting time to be involved and made me want to be a part of it.”

Talbot’s season was cut short in the cruellest of fashions when the pride of being called up to the Ireland squad in June was short-lived when a shoulder injury sustained while training with the national team ruled him out for the rest of the season.

He said: “I don’t think I’ve had a year as tough as this, so my focus is getting the best out of myself when I come back next season in terms of my own performances and helping the team.

“I want to get that consistency that I had previously. I am near-enough back fit so it is unfortunate that’s coinciding with the season ending.

“I’ve never had a significant injury and at first I didn’t know how bad it was and didn’t know how long I would be sidelined, so that was tough to take.

“Certain individuals reached out on a personal level from the club, which I am very grateful for and, for me, that showed what Bohs is all about.

“The club has looked after me ever since I came here and I have a passion to play for this club.

“It’s my first year at the club where we haven’t had something to play for at the end of the season, whether that be trying to qualify for Europe through the league or getting to a cup final, so I want us to get back to that next year.

“It has been a struggle for the club this season. Performances haven’t been good enough but off the pitch, we have lost people who mean a lot to me, and meant a lot to the club. I am at this club for people like Mono.

“And I wouldn’t be at this club in the first place was Keith Long, who gave me the opportunity to come here, and I’ll always be grateful for that.

“Declan has come in full of enthusiasm and positivity, and as an ex-goalkeeper himself, I feel that we have grown a connection already, so I am really looking forward to working with him, and to show the character of person I am on and off the pitch.”

Bohemian FC is delighted to share the below update on the proposed redevelopment of Dalymount Park.

Dublin City Council has today announced that it has chosen a final design for the redevelopment.

This follows on from DCC’s request of the design team, which was announced in July of this year, to assess two preliminary designs and choose one to progress through to planning and construction.

The chosen design is a revised ‘Option 3A’ and is costed at €40 million.

What this will entail for Bohemian FC:

• A full demolition of the existing Dalymount infrastructure (much of which is already underway)
• A four-sided stadium development
• A new capacity of 7,880 (5,880 seats and 2,000 terracing)
• Upgraded club facilities and match-day accommodation to meet League of Ireland criteria
• An area identified for community facilities, which will be housed in a separate on-site facility
• Enhancement of public domain to link-in with the proposed adjacent public plaza
• North/south pitch reorientation (currently east/west)

The revised timeline for the development is:

• January 6 2023: Completion of preliminary design
• February-June 2023: Pre-Part 8 planning process and refining of design
• July 2023: Part 8 planning permission submission
• December 2023: Part 8 planning permission approval
• March 2026: Construction completed

Bohemian FC is delighted that the design is now finally chosen and that we have been successful in working with Dublin City Council to both reduce costs to an achievable level, and to increase the capacity by 33% from the previously-planned level of 6,000.

The timeline that is now agreed is entirely achievable, however, as has always been the case, the post-planning permission construction phase is dependent on funding through stream 2 of the Large Scale Sport Infrastructure Fund (LSSIF).

This fund is under the control of central government and club officials have continued to meet several ministers over the past couple of months regarding this fund, and will continue to do so.

The level of support for the Dalymount project remains unanimous across all major parties and there is a widespread recognition of the importance of it for Bohemian FC, for Dublin 7 and for the wider inner-city and north Dublin communities.

The stadium has been at the heart of these sporting and geographical communities since 1901 and will continue to be so into the distant future.

The Bohemians U19s have been crowned Enda McGuill Cup winners after a 1-0 win over St Patrick’s Athletic at Dalymount Park this evening.

A suburb finish from Jamie Mullins after 52 minutes was the difference between the sides in an entertaining decider.

Bohs, who lost out on penalties in the final of this competition away to Derry City this time last year, were by far the superior side in the opening 45 minutes with James McManus and Mullins causing problems for the Saints.

And Bohs started the second half in a similar vein with Mullins pouncing seven minutes in to rifle his shot past St Pat’s keeper Kian Clements.

His opposite number Reece Byrne was the busier of the two netminders for the remainder of the game but his efforts, and those of a resilient Bohs defence in front of him, kept the visitors at bay.

After the game, Bohs Head Coach Seán L’Estrange said: “It really was a game of two halves! We were absolutely brilliant in the first half but just couldn’t get the breakthrough.

“We went in at half-time and felt that if we persevered we would find it and to be fair to Jamie Mullins, what a finish for the goal.

“St Pat’s put us under serious pressure in the second half but I thought we showed great resilience to see out the game.

“There was a great Bohemians spirit about the performance throughout and that’s what we wanted to see from them.

“I’m delighted for the lads – some of these players went so close to winning it last year that I felt they really deserved to have something to show this season for all their efforts.

“There’s a lot of that team who will be playing U19s football again next season and they’re already out there talking about retaining it next season.”

Bohemians: Reece Byrne, Gavin O’Brien, Derinsola Adewale, Jake McCormack, Cian Byrne (C), Alex O’Brien (Rudhan Kane 90), Jack O’Reilly (Jamie Doyle 64), James McManus, Nickson Okosun (Peter Brogan 83), Jamie Mullins (Darragh Murtagh 85),  Aaron Doran.