Dalymount Park

Dalymount Park is among the oldest football grounds still in use in Europe, staging matches since 1901 — more than a hundred and twenty years.

Construction and opening

The very first match took place on 7 September 1901 between Bohemians and Shelbourne before roughly 3,000 spectators, with Harold Sloan scoring the ground's first goal in a 4–2 win. At that point it was an ordinary field enclosed by a corrugated iron fence, the pitch separated from spectators by a roped barrier, and a tent at one end served as the dressing rooms. Within weeks paling replaced the ropes and the first wooden stands appeared.

Major renovations

• 1927/28 — the galvanised iron boundary gave way to a 10 ft wall with twenty turnstile houses at a cost of £2,520; a new steel stand cost £5,833
• early 1930s — the club engaged the celebrated Scottish architect Archibald Leitch, designer of many famous British grounds; between 1925/26 and 1932 a total of £17,000 was spent on improvements
• 1962 — floodlights installed, funded by members, players, traders and the football authorities
• 1999 — the old wooden main stand was replaced by the modern "Jodi Stand" with 2,742 seats, costing £1.1 million
• 2023 — a new away stand opened on the Connaught Street side

Notable moments

The record attendance came on 19 May 1957 for a World Cup qualifier against England, estimated at between 45,000 and 48,000. The FAI Cup final record stands at 45,000, set in 1945 when Shamrock Rovers beat Bohemians. Liam Brady, Johnny Giles and Denis Irwin all made their international debuts here.

The character of Dalymount Park rests on the contrast between a past that drew tens of thousands and a present capacity of 4,443.

Fan culture

In its heyday the ground regularly held crowds of up to 40,000, though whether it ever accommodated that number safely is open to question. Three sides were open terracing, and the only covered section was half of the so-called Shed End, roofed since 1945. The main stand of 1928, built of iron and wood with wooden benches, seated just 1,500. The floodlights, long rumoured to have come from Arsenal's old ground, were in fact built in Scotland and paid for by a whip-round among members, players, traders and the football authorities.

Big matches

The first floodlit match delivered a harsh lesson: Arsenal won 8–3. In September 1957 the ground hosted the first European Cup appearance by an Irish side, Shamrock Rovers against Manchester United, drawing a crowd comparable to an international. Dalymount later served as a European venue for clubs whose own grounds fell short — Shelbourne played their first five European ties here against Barcelona, Atlético Madrid and Sporting Lisbon, while Shamrock Rovers played their first eleven.

Dalymount sits inside Dublin, so getting there is simple — but this is an old ground with sections permanently closed.

How to get there

• Where it is: Phibsborough, on the Northside of Dublin, close to the centre
• On foot: it is a short distance from the city centre, set among ordinary streets
• By car: parking is limited, as in any dense Dublin neighbourhood

Tickets and tours

Bohemian F.C. sells tickets directly. Capacity now stands at 4,443 because only two of the four sides operate: the terrace opposite the main stand was closed on safety grounds in 2011, and the Tramway End has been sold. Until 2023 the ground held only 4,227, with a new away stand on Connaught Street opening for the 2023 season.

Visitor tips

• Where to sit: the Jodi Stand of 1999 holds 2,742 seats and is the most comfortable section
• Away supporters: the Des Kelly Carpets Stand, the former Shed End, holds 1,485
• Not to miss: the floodlight pylons, among the ground's most recognisable features
• What to expect: a stadium with the history of the "home of Irish football", now on an intimate scale