Bohs get the green light to redevelop Dalymount Park

Bohemians have been given the green light to redevelop Dalymount Park after plans were ratified at a Dublin City Council meeting on Monday night.

The new-look ground will have a capacity of just over 8,000 [6,240 seats and 1,794 standing], with stands to the east and west side and two terraces to the north and south.

As well as club offices, a bar and merchandise store, Bohs have said there’ll be a thoroughfare along the eastern boundary to connect Dublin’s North Circular Road and Connaught Street which will include eateries and a public plaza.

“Dalymount Park has hosted thousands of football games, enjoyed by millions of supporters, continuously since 1901, while also being an integral part of the general sporting, cultural and societal fabric of Dublin City,” said Bohs chief operating officer Daniel Lambert.

“It has, however, long passed its capability to provide an appropriate, safe and modern facility for football and community use. Despite this, Dalymount Park 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 considerable efforts to get us to this point.

“With planning now, we call on the government to ensure that the appropriate funding mechanism is in place to enable progression to construction phase. As we have seen across capital projects with levels of inflation, any delays to the process can cause significant complications and ultimately added cost to the exchequer.

“We now have a plan to deliver the right stadium for Bohs, Dublin 7 and the city as a whole, at a cost that is appropriate, and that has public and political support. What we need now is the government to ensure the right funding is now forthcoming so that we can have a community stadium to be proud of at the Home of Irish Football.”

FAI CEO Jonathan Hill hailed the development as “an exciting step forward” for the domestic game, adding: “This is great news, and we thank and congratulate both Dublin City Council and Bohemian FC for all they have done to get us to this point.

“This is an exciting step forward in our wider Facility Vision, and we will look to replicate what’s been achieved here across other LOI clubs where a similar transformation of facilities, for players, fans and our media partners will enable us to change the face of Irish club football moving forward.”

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