Bohemian FC welcomes historic LSSIF grant to redevelop Dalymount Park

The board of Bohemian FC has expressed their delight with today’s approval of €24,700,000 under the LSSIF for the full Dalymount Park Redevelopment Project, adding that today is “one of the most important days for Bohemian FC and ‘the Home of Irish Football’, Dalymount Park, in our long shared histories”.

The key details of the stadium are:

Reorientation of the pitch to a North/South Axis (105m x 68m) and installation of a new sand-based grass pitch.
The provision of club offices, bar and merchandise store.
New stands to the east and west side with provision for c. 6,240 seats and two new terraces to the north and south with provision for c. 1,794 standing. (8,034 total capacity)
The provision of a public thoroughfare along the eastern boundary connecting North Circular Road and Connaught Street to include various eateries and a new public plaza.
A community facility with an area of 585sq.m over two floors to include a multi-functional community room and a community gym.
The provision of modern match-day facilities for teams and officials.

This is the final step in a long and complex process that the club has been engaged in since 2011 when the stadium’s future was uncertain.

Many people, within Bohemian FC, DCC, political parties, the FAI and the local area have enabled us to reach this point.

Daniel Lambert, Bohemian FC COO, said:

“Today is a momentous day in our club’s rich history and one each and every member and supporter can be proud of. At present, many young fans and families cannot access Dalymount with every game sold out; young fans and aspiring young footballers unable to see their heroes.

“As a fan-owned football club, Bohemians’ growth, across all activities, is also currently restricted with match-day revenues key to our model, one which has no capacity for private enrichment, and solely aimed to be a force for good.

“It is hard to overstate the benefits the redevelopment will bring to the club and community, for many generations to come.

“Dalymount Park has hosted thousands of football games, enjoyed by millions of supporters, continuously since 1901, while also being an integral part of the sporting, cultural and societal fabric of Dublin City.

“Even as the famous old ground has fallen into relative disrepair, it remains sold-out every Friday, a testament to the strength of our club in its community.

“We have engaged extensively with DCC since their acquisition of the stadium in 2015 and thank them for their mammoth efforts to get us to this point and they will co-fund the balance of the project.

“We would also like to put on record our gratitude to the government for this grant and to various ministers for their engagement with the club over the years, in particular the strong support of Minister Paschal Donohoe, and also the cross-party support and engagement of many local TDs and councillors throughout the process.

“With funding now announced, we hope for a smooth and fast process to final drawdown to enable progression to construction phase.

“The realisation of this redevelopment will be transformative, not only for Bohemian FC, across all of our extensive activities in football and social outreach work, but also for the local Dublin 7 community who gain greatly through the provision of a community building and new, safe, cycle and pedestrian routes in an inner-city environment.”

Matt Devaney, Bohemian FC President, said:

“Today is a huge milestone in what has been a long journey to date which will allow the club to fulfil its future growth ambitions.

“With funding now secured to complete the Dalymount redevelopment, we look forward to having a modern stadium with increased capacity that will serve Bohs and the broader area for years to come.

“I would like to thank Dublin City Council and all those across the political landscape who have got us to this point.”