Dalymount redevelopment to begin this month with demolition of roof of Des Kelly stand

The redevelopment of Dalymount Park will begin this month with the demolition of the roof of the Des Kelly stand (at the School end of the ground).

Scheduled to take place over an eight to ten week period starting in July, it will be the first visible signs of the planned upgrade of ‘the home of Irish football’.

When complete the venue is planned to be a 6,000 all-seated UEFA Three star stadium, home for both Bohemians and Shelbourne football clubs.

The east stand will include community facilities. The plan is to include 1,000m² of concourse space at ground level which will have potential to be used for community activities and events on non-match days and1,000 m² at first floor level including library, flexible community space and meeting rooms.  

An update on the stadium development was issued by Dublin City Council this week containing information on the planned short, medium and long term works.

In addition to the demolition of the roof of the Des Kelly stand, the council have noted their plan to demolish the Connaught Street side of the ground which for over a decade has lain idle in a dilapidated state. This element will be required to go through a Part 8 planning process where Dublin City Council will put out for public consultation information on the demolition works.

The council is currently at the design and planning stage for the full stadium redevelopment. In the first of what is planned to be quarterly newsletters issued in the stadium locality, the council noted that: 

IDOM/Gilroy MacMahon have been appointed as the architect led Integrated Design Team and they have begun work on the preliminary design stage. During this process, there will be consultation with all stakeholders including Bohemian FC, Shelbourne FC, elected public representatives and the wider North Dublin community. 

Initial funding for the project was announced last February in the form of a Large Scale Sports Infrastructure Fund (LSSIF) grant from the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport, and Media for €918,750. Additional funding will be sought in LSSIF stream 2 once the project has a detailed design and planning permission. 

An updated timeline was also confirmed by the council which they noted is ‘very much dependent on further funding becoming available’. 

It is planned that construction work will commence when the 2022 League of Ireland season is complete and that the redeveloped stadium will be complete in time for the beginning of the 2025 football season. 

This newsletter can be read in English or as Gaeilge anseo.

In Pictures: Bohemians 3 - 0 Stjarnan https://t.co/P2Rre0QOE2pic.twitter.com/7CpCyENhu4

— Extratime.com (@ExtratimeNews) July 16, 2021