Dalymount Park facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Dalymount Park

Dalymount Park Location in Dublin
Location	Phibsborough, Dublin, Ireland
Coordinates	53°21′42″N 6°16′30″W / 53.36167°N 6.27500°W / 53.36167; -6.27500
Public transit	Phibsborough Luas stop Dublin Bus
Owner	Dublin City Council
Capacity	4,500
Field size	125 x 75yds
Surface	Grass
Construction
Broke ground	1901
Opened	7 September 1901
Renovated	1999
Tenants
Bohemian F.C. (1901–present) Bohemian F.C. Women (2022–present) Republic of Ireland national football team (1954–1990) Shamrock Rovers F.C. (1988–1990)

The entrance gate to Dalymount Park.

Dalymount Park (in Irish: Páirc Chnocán Uí Dhálaigh) is a famous football stadium in Phibsborough, a part of Dublin, Ireland.

It is the long-time home of Bohemian F.C., who have played there since the early 1900s. Fans lovingly call it "Dalyer." For many years, it was known as the "home of Irish football." It hosted many international matches for Ireland and important FAI Cup finals. It also held big European club games, like those in the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Cup.

However, the stadium wasn't updated much between the 1940s and 2000s. Now, it's mainly used for Bohemian F.C.'s home games. Other teams like Shelbourne and Shamrock Rovers have also used it as their home ground at different times.

History of Dalymount Park

How it All Started

Dalymount Park was once just open land with a big vegetable garden. It was taken over by Bohemian F.C. The very first game was played there on 7 September 1901. It was between Bohemians and Shelbourne F.C., with about 5,000 people watching. Harold Sloan scored the first goal, helping Bohemians win 4–2.

Back then, it was just a field with a simple fence. Ropes kept spectators away from the pitch. A tent served as the changing room for players. Soon, wooden fences replaced the ropes. Small wooden stands were added behind each goal and along the sides.

Dalymount became important quickly. In 1903, it hosted the Irish Cup Final. On 26 March 1904, it held its first international match. Ireland played Scotland and drew 1–1. For several years, Dalymount hosted at least one Irish international game.

Over the next few years, the stadium grew. More wooden stands were built. The main stands on both sides got roofs. By the 1927/28 season, big improvements were made. A 10-foot wall with 20 turnstiles replaced the old fence. A new steel stand was built, costing over £5,800. More seating areas and a gym were also added.

Later, a famous Scottish architect named Archibald Leitch helped plan future upgrades. He designed many famous stadiums in England and Scotland. More sections were added to the main stand. New entrances and exits were created. Between 1925 and 1932, about £17,000 was spent to improve the stadium.

The Glory Days

In its best years, Dalymount Park, or "Dalyer," saw huge crowds. Sometimes up to 40,000 people came to watch big games. The stadium had open standing areas on three sides. One side, called the "Shed End," got a roof in 1945. The main stand, built in 1928, had about 1,500 seats made of wood.

The floodlights at Dalymount Park were built in Scotland. Fans helped pay for them through a kind of "crowdfunding." This allowed the club to invite many top teams to Dublin. The first game under the new lights was in February 1962. Arsenal played Bohemians, with Arsenal winning 8-3.

The record attendance at Dalymount was 48,000. This was for an Irish international game against England on 19 May 1957. A similar crowd watched Shamrock Rovers play Manchester United in 1957. The stadium also saw the first international games for famous players like Liam Brady and Johnny Giles.

A wide view of the inside of Dalymount Park.

Amazing Hat-Trick

On 19 November 1967, something incredible happened. In a League of Ireland match, Shelbourne was losing 0-2 to Bohemians. Then, Jimmy O'Connor scored three goals in just 2 minutes and 13 seconds! This amazing hat-trick helped Shels win the game 3-2.

A Time of Change

By the 1980s, Dalymount was no longer the main stadium for Irish international football. The newer and larger Lansdowne Road stadium took its place. Parts of Dalymount Park started to look old and run down. Some of the standing areas were in poor condition.

In February 1985, Ireland played Italy at Dalymount. Too many fans showed up, and there were safety concerns. After this, the stadium's capacity was cut in half to 22,000. Dalymount hosted fewer international games after that. The last full Irish international game there was a friendly against Morocco in 1990.

Dalymount also lost the FAI Cup Final in 1990. It briefly hosted the final again in 1996, 1997, and 1998. But then, the final moved to other stadiums. Even when Lansdowne Road was being rebuilt, Dalymount wasn't chosen to host the Cup Final.

Modern Updates

Bohemians have made some changes to the stadium. In 1999, the old main stand was replaced with a new one called the "Jodi Stand." It has 2,742 seats and cost £1.1 million. This was meant to be the first step in a bigger plan to rebuild Dalymount Park.

Part of the standing area on the opposite side was removed. The rest had seats added, but it didn't have a roof. This section was closed for safety reasons in 2011. The "Shed End" now has seats and is called "The Des Kelly Carpets Stand." It holds 1,485 people and is often used for visiting fans. The area behind the other goal, the "Tramway End," has been sold and is also closed.

This means the stadium now only has two working sides. Its current capacity is about 4,227. Bohemians usually have around 2,000 fans at their home games. For the 2023 League of Ireland Premier Division season, a new stand for away supporters opened on the Connaught Street side.

Dalymount has also hosted European games for other teams. This happened when their own stadiums weren't suitable. For example, Drogheda United played their UEFA Champions League qualifiers there.

Plans for the Future

For many years, there were plans to sell Dalymount Park and build a new stadium for Bohemians. These plans involved different property developers. However, due to financial problems and legal issues, these deals never happened.

In 2015, Dublin City Council bought Dalymount Park for €3.8 million. The idea was for Bohemians and Shelbourne to share the stadium. The council also hoped to redevelop the ground. In October 2018, the council shared plans to turn Dalymount into a modern 6,000-seater stadium. This would be a UEFA Category 3 facility.

The redevelopment work was planned to happen in stages. It was suggested that Bohemians and Shelbourne might need to play elsewhere during construction. In February 2020, the government announced €900,000 in funding for the project.

By mid-2022, the plans were still moving slowly. The council started looking at smaller options because of rising costs. However, demolition of the Connaught Street Stand began in August 2022. In October 2022, updated plans were released for a stadium with a capacity of 7,880, aiming for completion by 2026.

In February 2024, Dublin City Council approved a grant of €40 million for the stadium's redevelopment. The club hopes to finish construction by the 2027 season. In November 2024, the project received a €25 million sports grant.

Famous Games at Dalymount

Irish International Matches

Dalymount Park has hosted many exciting international football matches for Ireland. Here are some of them:

Date	Competition	Flag	Country	Score
26/04/1904	1904 British Home Championship		Scotland	1–1
17/03/1906	1906 British Home Championship		Scotland	0–1
14/03/1908	1908 British Home Championship		Scotland	0–5
10/02/1912	1912 British Home Championship		England	1–6
15/03/1913	1913 British Home Championship		Scotland	1-2
14/06/1924	Friendly		United States	3–1
20/04/1929	Friendly		Belgium	4–0
13/12/1931	Friendly		Spain	0–5
25/02/1934	1934 FIFA World Cup qualification		Belgium	4–4
16/12/1934	Friendly		Hungary	2–4
08/12/1935	Friendly		Netherlands	3–5
17/03/1936	Friendly		Switzerland	1–0
17/10/1936	Friendly		Germany	5–2
06/12/1936	Friendly		Hungary	2–3
07/12/1937	1938 FIFA World Cup qualification		Norway	3–3
18/09/1938	Friendly		Switzerland	4–0
13/11/1938	Friendly		Poland	3–2
30/06/1946	Friendly		England	0–1
02/03/1947	Friendly		Spain	3–2
14/05/1947	Friendly		Portugal	0–2
05/12/1948	Friendly		Switzerland	0–1
24/04/1949	Friendly		Belgium	0–2
22/05/1949	Friendly		Portugal	1–0
12/06/1949	Friendly		Spain	1–4
08/09/1949	Friendly		Finland	3–0
13/11/1949	Friendly		Sweden	1–3
26/11/1950	Friendly		Norway	2–2
13/5/1951	Friendly		Argentina	0–1
17/10/1951	Friendly		West Germany	3–2
16/11/1952	1954 FIFA World Cup qualification		France	3–5
28/10/1953	1954 FIFA World Cup qualification		Luxembourg	4–0
07/11/1954	Friendly		Norway	2–1
19/10/1955	Friendly		Yugoslavia	1–4
27/11/1955	Friendly		Spain	2–2
03/10/1956	1958 FIFA World Cup qualification		Denmark	2–1
25/11/1956	Friendly		West Germany	3–0
19/05/1957	1958 FIFA World Cup qualification		England	1–1
05/10/1958	Friendly		Poland	2–2
05/04/1959	1960 European Nations' Cup preliminary Qualifying Round		Czechoslovakia	2–0
01/11/1959	Friendly		Sweden	3–2
30/03/1960	Friendly		Chile	2–0
28/09/1960	Friendly		Wales	2–3
06/11/1960	Friendly		Norway	3–1
07/05/1961	1962 FIFA World Cup qualification		Scotland	0–3
08/10/1961	1962 FIFA World Cup qualification		Czechoslovakia	1–3
08/04/1962	Friendly		Austria	2–3
12/08/1962	1964 European Nations' Cup Qualifying Round		Iceland	4–2
09/06/1963	Friendly		Scotland	1–0
13/10/1963	1964 European Nations' Cup Eighth Finals		Austria	3–2
08/04/1964	1964 European Nations' Cup Quarter Finals		Spain	0–2
24/05/1964	Friendly		England	1–3
25/10/1964	Friendly		Poland	3–2
24/04/1965	Friendly		Belgium	0–2
05/05/1965	1966 FIFA World Cup qualification		Spain	1–0
04/05/1966	Friendly		West Germany	0–4
23/10/1966	UEFA Euro 1968 Qualifying Group		Spain	0–0
16/11/1966	UEFA Euro 1968 Qualifying Group		Turkey	2–1
21/05/1967	UEFA Euro 1968 Qualifying Group		Czechoslovakia	0–2
15/05/1968	Friendly		Poland	2–2
10/11/1968	Friendly		Austria	2–2
04/12/1968	1970 FIFA World Cup qualification		Denmark	abnd.
04/05/1969	1970 FIFA World Cup qualification		Czechoslovakia	1–2
08/06/1969	1970 FIFA World Cup qualification		Hungary	1–2
21/09/1969	Friendly		Scotland	1–1
15/10/1969	1970 FIFA World Cup qualification		Denmark	1–1
23/09/1970	Friendly		Poland	0–2
14/10/1970	UEFA Euro 1972 Qualifying Group		Sweden	1–1
30/05/1971	UEFA Euro 1972 Qualifying Group		Austria	1–4
15/11/1972	1974 FIFA World Cup qualification		France	2–1
21/10/1973	Friendly		Poland	1–0
30/10/1974	UEFA Euro 1976 Qualifying Group		USSR	3–0
11/3/1975	Friendly		West Germany'B'	1–0
29/10/1975	UEFA Euro 1976 Qualifying Group		Turkey	4–0
24/03/1976	Friendly		Norway	3–0
24/04/1977	Friendly		Poland	0–0
29/10/1979	Friendly		United States	3–2
12/10/1983	UEFA Euro 1984 Qualifying Group		Netherlands	2–3
16/11/1983	UEFA Euro 1984 Qualifying Group		Malta	8–0
23/05/1984	Friendly		Poland	0–0
08/08/1984	Friendly		Mexico	0–0
05/02/1985	Friendly		Italy	1–2
10/11/1987	Friendly		Israel	5–0
07/02/1989	Friendly		France	0–0
12/09/1990	Friendly		Morocco	1–0
Notes

Cup Finals Hosted

Dalymount Park has also hosted many important cup finals. This includes the Irish Cup and the FAI Cup finals. It even hosted finals for cross-border competitions.

Other Uses of the Stadium

Dalymount Park has been used for more than just football. It has hosted many live music concerts.

One of the most famous was Bob Marley and the Wailers on 6 July 1980. This was Bob Marley's last outdoor concert before he passed away. Thin Lizzy also played there in 1977, and Status Quo in 1979.

In the 1990s, Dalymount Park hosted the Sunstroke festival. This festival featured many alternative music bands. Some of these included Faith No More, Sonic Youth, Sugar, and Red Hot Chili Peppers.

In 2001, a concert by Destiny's Child was planned but moved. Safety inspectors found the venue was not suitable at that time.

In 2015, Dalymount Park hosted Shamrock Bowl XXIX. This was for the IAFL championship game.

International Rugby League Matches
Date	Home	Score	Opponent	Competition	Attendance
1 November 2003	Ireland	18–26	France	2003 European Nations Cup	1,082

See also

In Spanish: Dalymount Park para niños

• Stadiums of Ireland