Bohemians confirm Dalymount stay into 2025 as RDS emerges as potential temporary home

The Irish Sun

20-05-2025

BOHEMIANS have confirmed that they will be playing in Dalymount Park for at least part of next season.
But the delay to the start of the ground's
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Bohemian FC President Matt Devaney was speaking at the launch of Bohemian Football Club Social Impact Report at the Mansion House in Dublin
Credit: Bohemians FC
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Bohemians have confirmed that thet will remain at Dalymount Park next season after redevelopment delays
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The LOI side may use Leinster Rugby's home as an occasional base in 2026
This was due to be their last year in their home since 1901 ahead of a redevelopment into a modern venue with a capacity of 8,034. It currently holds 4,500.
However, it has become clear that the project has not advanced sufficiently in order for Bohs to need to vacate at the end of this season.
President Matt Devaney said: 'When the funding was announced, the talk was that this would be our last season in Dalymount.
'I think it's evident that's not the case now, we are still hoping for next year. We always had the belief that we'd want to go at the end of the season but now, just to get it done, if it happens early or mid season, we can try and get that done.'
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A record League of Ireland crowd of 33,208 saw
The RDS's transformation - which will see it have a capacity of 20,600 - is due to be completed next summer.
Devaney said: 'The RDS for week-in, week-out might not be feasible but it could be something that we could look at for bigger fixtures.'
The nearby Energia Park in Donnybrook holds 6,000 and has an artificial surface with Richmond Park - where the capacity is 5,340 - the most likely football option.
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Devaney said: 'You've seen what we've done with the Aviva with the Rovers game.
"I'm not suggesting we can play a number of games at the Aviva but there's obviously bigger stadia in the city that maybe you could do a Pat's or Shels game on a sporadic basis so you mightn't have the one home venue for all of the games.'
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Devaney said the delays in the Dalymount project were not because of any loss of political support but because of the usual delays with funding coming from both central government and the ground owners, Dublin City Council.
Devaney was speaking at the launch of a report into the club's social impact, conducted by Whitebarn Consulting, at Dublin's Mansion House.
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It estimated that from an investment of more than €20million - some of which included putting a value on the work done by volunteers - between 2018 and 2023, the club had generated 'a ballpark total social value of at least €51m'.
Devaney said: 'Anecdotally we always knew the work we did had value and had an impact.
"What this report does is put pounds, shillings and pence on it, a monetary value and that validates the work that we do and helps us continue it.
'We didn't get into the tax take, PRSI and employees and the vendors we engage with. It's probably bigger.
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'That wasn't the primary reason for getting this report done, but it's landed at an opportune time.
'If you look at the revenue and the metrics for a football club in the north inner city is having, for a 4,000 seater stadium, this stadium will pay for itself in six or seven years.
"It makes no sense for it not to get done.'