Bohemians Prepare for RDS Switch as Dalymount Renovation Approaches
Bohemians are on the move. The club has confirmed it will stage a number of next season’s SSE Airtricity Men’s Premier Division fixtures at the Laya Arena, as the long goodbye to Dalymount Park finally gathers pace.
Bohs will remain at their famous Phibsborough home until May, then step away to allow the long-planned redevelopment to begin in earnest. The new 8,000-seater Dalymount is scheduled to be ready in 2029 – a distant finish line that now feels a little more real.
In the meantime, the club is embracing a nomadic existence. Having already flagged that the men’s side would be split across more than one venue during construction, Bohemians have now nailed down a marquee temporary home: the RDS in Ballsbridge.
The Laya Arena, freshly refurbished at a cost of €52m and more commonly associated with Leinster Rugby, only had its full opening in October. Next year it will carry League of Ireland football as well, with Bohs confirming an agreement to host top-flight fixtures there.
The attraction is obvious. Dalymount’s capacity issues have been a growing frustration, with home games routinely selling out and would-be supporters turned away. The RDS, with a capacity of over 20,000, offers something completely different – scale, comfort, and a modern backdrop for some of the club’s biggest nights.
“massive positive” and a “great opportunity”
Club president Matt Devaney hailed the move as a “massive positive” and a “great opportunity”, pointing directly to those sell-outs and the need to stop closing the door on new fans. High-profile games in a state-of-the-art arena give Bohemians a chance to showcase the club to a wider audience and test just how far their support can stretch beyond the Dalymount core.
The men’s team’s story is only half of the relocation puzzle. The club has also confirmed a new home for its women’s side, who will play their league fixtures at Frank Cooke Park, the base of Tolka Rovers.
That decision carries its own logic. The Bohemians women’s team have built the highest average attendances in the Women’s Premier Division at Dalymount, and the club is keen not just to protect that momentum, but to grow it. Frank Cooke Park, on Griffith Avenue, sits less than two miles from Dalymount and right in an area where Bohs already draw significant backing.
The ground offers a first-class pitch, a suitable clubhouse and a spectator capacity that fits current demand. Crucially, it remains accessible for the same communities that have driven those rising crowds for the women’s team. The club sees it as a venue that can hold what they have built and give it room to breathe.
Behind the scenes, the work is not finished. Bohemians are still in talks to secure a second primary home venue “at another League of Ireland stadium” to share the men’s calendar alongside the RDS. Juggling availability, geography and supporter needs has made that task a demanding one, but the framework is taking shape.
By the end of May, Dalymount Park will fall silent as a construction site takes over. Between Ballsbridge and Griffith Avenue, Bohemians intend to make sure their voice does not. The question now is simple: how big can that voice become by the time the new Dalymount finally opens its doors?
