Dublin City Council to purchase and redevelop Dalymount Park

“Shelbourne are most welcome” declared Bohemian’s Life vice-president Tony O’Connell at yesterday’s announcement that Dublin City Council are to purchase Dalymount Park.

The future of the former home ground of the Irish senior national team is now secure, Bohemians having agreed to sell the stadium to Dublin City Council for €3.8m, having previously seen a Celtic Tiger deal fall through.

Bohemian’s president Matt Devaney confirmed that the club is now on solid footing and the deeds of Dalymount Park would be handed over to Dublin City Council in a couple of weeks’ time after some small items were completed.

In part Dublin City Council, who voted unanimously to the purchase of Dalymount, have assigned Cormac Healy as project manager, with the council’s own architect and planning teams to start work on the stadium’s redevelopment.

However the deal with Dublin City Council and backed by the FAI nearly fell apart when Shelbourne were unable to move across the city, due to lease arrangements with their home ground Tolka Park.

“The deal nearly came off the rails serval times” explained Devaney. “The basis and premise was always that Shelbourne would be involved, when it became they weren’t we just looked at how to progress. We had agreements drawn up on how it would work, when Shels were here,” added Devaney.

“Joe Casey (Shelbourne chairman) rang to congratulate me on Saturday, I told him we hope to have him and Shelbourne here soon.

“We have sold the ground in terms of ownership” explained Devaney, “but we have secured our long term future here in Dalymount Park.”

The redeveloped Dalymount Park, more than likely will not have a grass pitch and is expected to be available as the team base for Euro 2020 and possibly as the home of the Irish U21 team.