On a Monday evening, Dublin City Council chose to take on a thirty-year debt of roughly €34 million to rebuild Dalymount Park, the Phibsborough ground that has long held Bohemians' history. The project, once imagined at €40 million, now stands at €63.7 million, a reminder that civic ambitions often grow as they take physical shape. The decision is not yet final, since the funding plan awaits the Minister's approval, but it marks a moment when a neighbourhood's old ground begins to be imagined anew for the people who will gather there for decades to come.
Dublin City Council Approves €34m Loan for Dalymount Park Redevelopment, Construction Eyed Next Year
On a Monday evening, Dublin City Council chose to take on a thirty-year debt of roughly €34 million to rebuild Dalymount Park, the Phibsborough ground that has long held Bohemians' history. The project, once imagined at €40 million, now stands at €63.7 million, a reminder that civic ambitions often grow as they take physical shape. The decision is not yet final, since the funding plan awaits the Minister's approval, but it marks a moment when a neighbourhood's old ground begins to be imagined anew for the people who will gather there for decades to come.
At its monthly meeting on Monday evening, Dublin City Council voted to borrow about €34 million over thirty years to help rebuild Dalymount Park, the Phibsborough home of Bohemians. The council has owned the ground since 2015, when it bought it from the club for €3.4 million, and the redevelopment has been long anticipated. Its cost has climbed sharply, from €40 million a year ago to €63.7 million now. Repayments of €1.8 million a year will come partly from the club's rent and match-day income, and central government has already contributed around €25 million.
The council has also amended its planning application, reworking the roof, basement and changing-room locations to save €3.5 million. The plan now goes to James Browne, the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, for approval. The timetable may also be faster than expected: CEO Richard Shakespeare said the council would hope to be on site this time next year, and the Lord Mayor hoped a contractor could be chosen by next summer.
The new ground will hold 6,240 seats with space for 1,794 standing, a turned pitch, new changing rooms, club offices and a 585 square metre community space with a gym. Bohemians welcomed the decision. Councillors were largely supportive, with Ciarán Perry calling the community gain potentially exceptional and criticising the FAI's lack of funding.
Some councillors pressed on oversight, asking how the rising cost would be controlled and who would govern the ground. Shakespeare said the council is weighing several operating models and running cost-benefit analyses, and that it will seek to maximise commercial returns. The project began as a two-club venture in 2015, but Shelbourne withdrew in 2022. The Minister's decision, the contractor selection and the question of management remain the next things to watch.
At its monthly meeting on Monday evening, Dublin City Council voted to borrow about €34 million to help pay for the rebuilding of Dalymount Park, the Phibsborough ground that Bohemians currently call home. The loan, a little over €34.03 million, would run for 30 years.
The council has owned the ground since 2015, when it bought it from the club for €3.4 million. The redevelopment has been a long time coming, and its price has moved sharply. It is now expected to cost €63.7 million, well above the €40 million figure attached to it a year ago. Repaying the loan will cost the council €1.8 million a year, to be met partly from the rent Bohemians pay to use the stadium and partly from match day revenue. Central government has already put in around €25 million through the Large Scale Sport Infrastructure Fund.
The council has also amended its planning application in ways it says will save €3.5 million. The changes cover the proposed roof, the basement, and the location of the changing rooms. The funding proposal now goes to James Browne, the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, for approval.
The timetable may be faster than expected. Construction had been anticipated to start in 2027, but council CEO Richard Shakespeare told the meeting: "We would hope to be on site this time next year." Lord Mayor Ray McAdam asked whether a contractor would be chosen soon through the tender process, ideally by next summer. Shakespeare replied that this was the general gist.
According to the council's report, the existing stadium and structures will be demolished and replaced with a ground holding 6,240 seats and room for another 1,794 standing. The pitch will be turned to run north-south and laid with new sand-based grass. The plans include new changing rooms, match-day facilities for teams and officials, and club offices. A 585 square metre space over two floors will hold a multifunctional community room and a gym. The site provides for 12 car parking spaces and 50 bicycle spaces. Bohemians welcomed the decision, saying the funding will let the historic stadium be fully redeveloped to serve people in Dublin and beyond far into the future.
Councillors were broadly supportive. Green Party councillor Feljin Jose said the municipal stadium would also act as a community hub for Phibsborough. Independent councillor Ciarán Perry, who said he is a Bohemians fan, called the community gain potentially "exceptional" and said it could drive regeneration of the area, which he said has had a poor history. He described the FAI's failure to contribute any funding as "a bit of a disgrace", a view several other councillors echoed.
Some members pressed on oversight. They asked how the council and its CEO would stop the estimated cost rising before completion, and who would manage and govern the ground, including whether the council and councillors would sit on a board of management. Shakespeare said he understood the concerns about how the ground will operate. The council is weighing the pros and cons of various models, from a direct lease with conditions to closer oversight, and is doing a cost-benefit analysis of each. He said it will try to maximise commercial return, including from naming rights and what Bohemians pay to use the ground.
On cost, Shakespeare said contingencies are built into the €63.7 million figure, which he described as designed to be the worst case scenario. He said he has full confidence the strong project management team will deliver within budget.
The project began on a two-club model in 2015, with Shelbourne FC meant to leave Tolka Park and join Bohemians as co-anchor tenant. Shelbourne withdrew in 2022, saying it wished to stay at Tolka Park. What to watch now is the Minister's decision, the contractor selection expected by next summer, and the still-open question of how the ground will be run.
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