Dublin City Council given the go ahead to proceed to the design and planning stages of the Dalymount Park Redevelopment

Dublin City Council has announced that a grant agreement has now been signed with the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media (DTCAGSM) in relation to the Dalymount Park Redevelopment Project. The allocation of €918,750 from the Large Scale Sports Infrastructure Fund (LSSIF) will part fund the design and planning elements of the project.

Dublin City Council will now appoint an architect-led integrated design team that will begin work shortly on the preliminary design. During this process there will be consultation with all the relevant stakeholders, including both Bohemian FC and Shelbourne FC, and the wider North Dublin Community.

Dalymount Park is one of the city council’s major capital infrastructure projects, which will not only improve the sporting infrastructure of the city, but play a major in role in the regeneration and enhancement of the Public Domain in Phibsborough.

The current plan is to develop:

• A four-sided enclosed (bowl) municipal stadium 6,000-capacity UEFA category 3 stadium
• New north, south, east and west stands
• New community stand (east) – 1,000m² at first floor level including library, flexible community space, meeting rooms etc., plus c.1,000m² of concourse space at ground level, which could potentially be utilised for community activities and events on non-match days.
• New football stand (west) – UEFA Category 3 facilities, plus club offices and meeting rooms including c.250m² of hospitality/community space

The current timeline for completion of the redeveloped stadium is the commencement of 2025 season but this is very much dependent on further funding coming available for the construction stage from national Government via stream 2 of LSSIF and the City Councillors supporting the rezoning and sale of Tolka Park.

Lord Mayor of Dublin, Hazel Chu, welcomed the announcement that the Dalymount Park Redevelopment is now in a position to proceed to design and planning stage of the project, she added:

The redevelopment of this iconic stadium will provide a modern facility that will not just be of benefit to Bohemian FC and Shelbourne FC but the wider Dublin Community through the provision of a state of the art multi-functional facility.

In relation to the finalisation of the grant agreement, the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, Catherine Martin T.D. stated:

I am delighted that work is progressing on the Dalymount Park project. The funding being provided by my Department will allow the detailed design work to be completed and I look forward to further engagement with Dublin City Council when the project is ready to move to the construction stage. While it is particularly significant for the soccer community, the project will benefit the entire community and play a significant part in the regeneration of the Phibsborough area.

The Minister of State for Sport and the Gaeltacht, Jack Chambers T.D. also welcomed the progress:

I am delighted that the proposed Dalymount redevelopment project is now moving to the next stage. I want to see continued investment in our sporting infrastructure through both the Sports Capital and Equipment Programme and the Large Scale Sport Infrastructure Fund and will continue to make the case for enhanced investment in these programmes in the coming years. The new Dalymount Stadium will be a significant boost for the League of Ireland and I wish Dublin City Council, Shelbourne FC and Bohemian FC every success with the project.

Shelbourne FC welcomed the announcement from Dublin City Council that funding is now in place to commence the design and planning elements for the redevelopment of Dalymount Park into a modern purpose-built Stadium for all of north Dublin to enjoy.

As co-anchor tenants in this project with Bohemian FC, Shelbourne said that they “look forward to working closely with them and Dublin City Council to achieving the common shared vision we all have of providing our supporters with the most modern facilities available and a Stadium that will enable us to grow further as clubs”.

Joe Casey, Director of Shelbourne FC, commented:

Shelbourne FC would like to put on record our gratitude to the team at Dublin City Council who are working tirelessly to put this project in motion and who are ready and willing to help at a moment’s notice and to the public representatives on all sides who continue to offer their support throughout the process. We will of course continue to keep our supporters informed of ongoing progress and would welcome any input they may have.

Daniel Lambert, Chief Operating Officer of Bohemian FC, commented:

Bohemian FC welcomes today’s announcement which now brings us to the penultimate, and one of the most exciting stages of this process, the full redevelopment of Dalymount Park which began with the members of Bohemians voting to transfer ownership to DCC in 2015. We look forward to engaging, alongside Shelbourne FC and the wider community, with the design team, to realise and deliver a world class stadium in the heart of Dublin City.

A stadium that allows our respective clubs, and the local community to grow and proser, and that reflects and enhances the huge tradition of the ‘Home of Irish Football’. We would now call upon the full support of Government, through the LSSIF, over the coming year to see this project to completion. Ultimately delivering a key piece of publicly owned infrastructure for the people of Dublin, for the enjoyment and promotion of sporting, cultural and community activities.

Lambert added:

Dalymount Park has been our home for 120 years but sell-out crowds pre COVID-19, and unprecedented membership numbers in 2020/2021, demonstrate that Bohemian FC has outgrown Dalymount Park in its current form.

The stadium’s redevelopment is key to the club’s future growth on and off the pitch, while the community facilities envisaged will be of incalculable benefit to the wider north Dublin area.

Bohemian FC wishes to put on record our sincere gratitude for the continued cross-party support of our local representatives, our members and supporters and also that of the local community since Dublin City councillors voted unanimously to acquire the ground in 2015.

In preparation for the total redevelopment, a number of enabling works will take place over the next 12 months including the:

• Removal of the Des Kelly Stand Roof
• Demolition of the Connaught St Terrace by way of a Part 8 Planning Permission

The Football Association of Ireland (FAI) welcomed the announcement, with Chief Executive, Jonathan Hill, commenting:

Dalymount Park is an iconic football stadium and this project will deliver a world-class stadium to the northside of Ireland’s capital city. I want to thank government and Dublin City Council for their continued support of this project and wish all the stakeholders well with the next steps. 

Sources & imagery, courtesy: Dublin City Council / Bohemian FC

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