Words: Ciaran Myers // @_CiaranMyers35
In the Northside of Dublin, Phibsborough to be exact, lays the ‘home of Irish football’.
Dalymount Park, stadium in the heart of a community and the soul of one of Ireland’s most recognisable clubs, Bohemians FC, is a special ground. It is one of, if not the only venue to have hosted Pele, Bob Marley, Bobby Moore, Black Sabbath and Johnny Giles.
Originally common land, known as ‘Pisser Dignam’s Field’, Bohemians acquired Dalymount in 1901, concluding a nomadic period for the club founded eleven years prior. They had first played at the Polo Grounds in Dublin’s Phoenix Park before moving to a private ground on Jones Road where Croke Park, the home of the GAA, now stands. After a stint at Whitehall Farm, Glasnevin, they landed at what would be their home for the next century and counting.
Dalymount Park was officially opened on 7 September 1901 by the Lord Mayor of Dublin, Mr Tim Harrington. A 5,000 strong crowd witnessed Bohs defeat city rivals Shelbourne 4-2 in a friendly. The first goal in the new ground came from Harold Sloan, who would later go on to score the winner as Bohs won their first Irish Cup against Shelbourne at Dalymount in 1908. Sadly, Sloan’s story ended while serving in World War I at Combles, near the Somme on 21 January 1917.
Colourised image of Dalymount Park during Ireland v West Germany, 1956.
Photo Credit: Rob Cross
Sloan’s winning goal came in the fourth Irish Cup final to be held at Dalymount Park. The first was in 1903, Bohemians lost 3-1 to Lisburn-based Distillery. In 1906, Shelbourne became the first Dublin side to win the competition with a 2-0 win over Belfast Celtic. The following season, Cliftonville beat the holders in a replay.
The stadium hosted its first international match in March 1904, as Ireland hosted Scotland. At this time the Irish Football Association was based in Belfast and subsequently, that was where the international team spent much of its time. The decision to play this match in Dublin was seen as an attempt to keep the southern contingent happy. Dalymount seemingly was viewed as a good location for the visit of the Scots as they returned in 1906 and 1908.
Dalymount also contributed to the war effort, hosting fundraising events for the care of injured soldiers. In July 1915, wounded soldiers were transported to the ground and provided entertainment in the form of football. In May 1917, a game between representative sides from Leinster and the British Army played in Dalymount for the same fund.
It is important to note the political context in Ireland at the time; the Easter Rising had occurred just over a year prior and within 20 years the country would be completely independent from British rule. Following the Easter Rising in 1916 and the execution of its leaders, support for Irish independence grew alongside an existing undercurrent of anti-British sentiment.
By the 1930s, the ground was in need of renovation and modernisation. Bohemians enlisted the renowned architect Archibald Leitch who had designed iconic grounds such as Villa Park, Celtic Park and Anfield to help. Dalymount’s layout was a reflection of the society it was in, with open terraces to accommodate the working-class support while also housing stands to seat its middle-class support and directors. Around the entire pitch, new entrances and exits were added alongside more terracing with crush barriers also being erected. The work completed between 1925 and 1935 cost a total of £17,000 – just over a million pounds in today’s money.
In 1936 Dalymount was home to a controversial international fixture; calling it retrospectively ‘controversial’ puts it lightly. On 15 October 1936, a German international football team landed in Dublin after a visit to Glasgow to play Scotland. An Irish-operated bus, adorned with swastikas, ferried the squad to the Gresham Hotel in Dublin where a banquet was held to welcome them. By this time, Hitler and the Nazi Party had re-occupied the Rhineland, violating the Treaty of Versailles in the process and had built their domestic support through a rebuilt economy.
There was an interesting diplomatic relationship between Ireland and Germany at the start of the 20th century. Revolution against the British suited Germany in the First World War, and German guns were shipped to the Irish coast to help their efforts. German dignitaries welcomed their hosts to the pitch at Dalymount Park with a Nazi salute, while the swastika hung alongside the Tricolour inside Dalymount Park. Ireland ran out 5-2 winners with Tom Davis of Oldham scoring a brace.
Germany Players perform the Nazi salute prior to losing to Ireland at Dalymount Park in 1936.
Photo Credit: Irish Times
A fixture that seems to have drawn more controversy at the time of its playing was the visit of Yugoslavia in 1955. Archbishop John Charles McQuaid encouraged Catholics to boycott the fixture, disagreeing with the Communist politics of the country and being particularly unhappy with the imprisonment of Archbishop Aloysius Stepinac of Zagreb by the Titoist government.
However, the condemnation by the head of the church and a picket by the Legion of Mary members did not deter 21,000 supporters and the Minister for Defence, Oscar Traynor, filing into Dalymount Park to witness a 4-1 win for the Yugoslavs.
Dalymount has hosted some historic and intriguing ties but one that sticks out where club football is concerned was the visit of the Busby Babes in 1956, a year before the tragic Munich air disaster. Shamrock Rovers used Dalymount for their European fixtures including this match against one of football’s great teams, which Rovers lost 6-0.
By the 1980s, the stadium had once again fallen behind other modern facilities. This became clear in February 1985 with the visit of World Champions Italy. 40,000 turned up to get a glimpse of the brilliant Azurri squad but it was clear that Dalymount was unable to host such a crowd. Fans were passed down to the sidelines to avoid being crushed. A safety review followed which cut the capacity of the stadium in half, to 22,000.
Supporters watch Italy’s visit to Dalymount from the roof.
Photo Credit: News Talk
Five years later Dalymount hosted its last international, a friendly against Morocco, as games were moved to Lansdowne Road until they found their new home in the Aviva Stadium in 2010.
Away from football, Dalymount has hosted some iconic gigs. Bob Marley played his last outdoor gig there in 1980 as part of his Uprising album tour. The legendary performer even got a chance to have a kick-around on the pitch beforehand. The gig was commemorated by Bohemians in 2022, their away shirt featuring Bob Marley’s image and the words ‘refugees welcome here’ on it. Between 1977 and 1982 Meat Loaf, Status Quo, The Boomtown Rats and The Beach Boys also performed at the ground.
There was further redevelopment around the turn of the millennium. £1.1 million was pumped into Daymount to replace the old main stand with a modern 2,742 seater stand, however it still lags behind the prototypical ‘modern stadium’.
Dalymount has continued to be a place full of charm and a ground described as old-school, and while for ground-hoppers and footballing romantics this might be great, for the club who call it home it is a reason for their stifled progress. With some of the ground shut for safety reasons it has increasingly been used less by those who are not Bohemians. Its reputation as a venue and host arena of international matches has declined, though it still does host local music festivals.
However, it did host another historic fixture in 2024 with the visit of Palestine’s national women’s team, their first game on European soil. Played against the backdrop of the war in Gaza, the game sold out – a signal of Irish support for the Palestinian nation. It was club against country as they took on Bohemians’ women team.
The Dublin club have been highly active in campaigning for peace in the region, with the Palestinian flag commonly seen around the ground as well as kits that help raise money for those in the nation. Their Chief Operations Officer, Daniel Lambert, combines his role with managing the outspoken rap trio Kneecap, who have also been at the forefront of campaigning for Palestinian statehood.
Bob Marley performing at Dalymount in 1980.
Photo Credit: The Independent
A mural showing solidarity with Palestine in Dalymount Park.
Photo Credit: Irish Times