Firstly, I’ve always supported the claim by some (mainly Bohemian F.C) football supporters that Dalymount Park merits national monument status. It’s well known the national team played there of course, but beyond that- you could get a fantastic book out of this place (and I hope someone does)
Even Nazi Germany have graced the pitch. Image taken from the Facebook Group 'Dalymount Park is a National Monument'
Pele and Zidane have graced the pitch, and closer to home some English legends like Bobby Charlton and Bobby Moore. 22,000 people went along to Dalymount Park in 1959 to watch Saint Patrick’s Athletic take on Waterford in a Cup Final. That was typical enough. Some matches were a tad odder, like a bizarre charity match in 1952 (“stage artists carrying huge mallets and wearing massive fur coats”, and “Big man stretches arm, holds off midget who swings wildly at nothing” for example) between a press team and a stage team. Why even limit a discussion of Dalymount to football? Thin Lizzy, Boomtown Rats, Bob Marley,Motorhead- all have taken to the stage here.
Why then did it feel like a trip to the DDR on Tuesday night?
Granted, it wasn’t the Connaught Stand (shudders) and the Des Kelly stand we were put in was quite nice, had a roof and was generally fine, but the turnstiles on the way in and the Gulag-like jacks are tragic at best. Imagine bringing your kids to their first League of Ireland game, at a stadium with such diverse and wonderful history, and being put in the Connaught Stand or coming through those turnstiles.
The atmosphere under that roof was electric, Mark Quigley was given a few healthy renditions of ‘White Joey Ndo, you’re just a white Joey Ndo….’ and he didn’t seem to mind the abuse as he stretched beside the away section. I don’t want to guess the away crowd, but it was very respectable and in fine voice and spirits. In truth I thought the Bohs lot were unusually quiet,the roar out of the Jodi can be thunderous on a good night, last night something was amiss over there. It happens at any ground on occasion, maybe it was a Tuesday night thing. I’ve often loved the displays that have come out of that section, like Zapata on his horse on the night of that Fahey goal.
When we got our goal (as you’ll see below in the YouTube video you’re all going to watch) our subs were STRAIGHT over to celebrate with the lads. At the end of the match the players and fans connected on a level I haven’t seen in a long time, and the chanting continued for a few minutes after the final whistle. Gold. Great to see a return to that kind of relationship.
Dalymount Park remains one of my favourite football stadiums to visit, if only for the history of it and the great pubs that you find on the street outside. In fact, I wouldn’t object to a Phibsboro pubcrawl for Come Here To Me in the nearish future. Still, Dalymount Park also remains in dire need of some sort of urgent fix-up. It is a disservice to the history of soccer in Ireland, and not just the resident Bohemian F.C, that the place is in the state it is.
All in all, for Saint Patrick’s Athletic though, a good performance on and off the pitch.
This is worth a look, on the history of Dalymount Park.
Jaycarax, who would know that kind of thing, insists The Clash never played there. They do tell you not to use Wikipedia, sometimes they’re right.
Click on the book for more.
Click on the book for more.
Donal
Ciarán
Sam
Come Here To Me! 
Agree with ya on our stadium, and nice to see a fan of another club agree on the importance of the place.
Our crowds are down a bit on last year, but it comes and goes really. Well done everyone who picked Bohs OR the junkies over Arenal on the telly.
Cheers for that.
“NEVER MIND SIXTEEN MOORE STREET- HERE’S DALYER”
Bohs do a much, much better half-time, I’ll give them that. Sloop John B? Brillers.
Argh, reading thebohs.com there and I can’t register an account, but I’m not actually AT ALL dismissive of the national monument idea. Thought that was somewhat obvious.
The reason it’s down as ‘national monument’ in the title, and not just national monument – is the fact it isn’t one. I think that, yes, it SHOULD be one.
I created that Facebook account and the offending post on thebohs.com.
Yes it should have been obvious that you were in favour of Dalymount’s preservation. It is obvious, in fact, and I obviously didn’t read your article properly. I can read, normally, so apologies.
Thanks for referencing that Facebook group and feel free to use any material for future reference.
I don’t know if there is the basis for a campaign there, although its good to hear that it has some resonance with fellow LoI fans.
Fucking great, nice to see other fans recognise the importance of the place. Only way it’ll ever get going (the national monument thing) is with widespread support. Those minnow-minded cunts in Wicklow will never agree.
Great post. I hope you lot finish second 😉
Great post Donal.
Just to be pedantic but The Clash never played in Dalymount Stadium.
The Clash played Dublin twice:
21 October 1977, TCD Exam Hall.
14 October 1978, Top Hat (Dun Laoghaire).
The dodgy line up (which we won’t speak about) played the SFX in March 1984.
“Just to be pedantic but The Clash never played in Dalymount Stadium.” BUT WIKIPEDIA SAYS SO. 🙂
Great article again Donal, shocking pity it came from you and not me though!
[…] 2010 in GeneralTags: bohs, Facebook, football, history, identity, media, St Pat's A good write-up here, from the Come Here to Me Dublin blog, on the Irish football supporter experience, with a […]
Well Dalymount certainly is not Croker but it’s a damn sight batter than the home of St. Patrick’s Athletic, Richmond Park.
I think stones and glass houses spring to mind.
“BUT WIKIPEDIA SAYS SO.”
Not anymore! 🙂
That Germany – Ireland 1936 poster is amazing.
Aye. And we won the game too! Video can be found here: http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=6874
Ammended!
“Jaycarax, who would know that kind of thing, insists The Clash never played there. They do tell you not to use Wikipedia, sometimes they’re right”
Ed Smith, I never claimed Richmond Park was historically important in the way Dalymount is. When the naitonal team use Richmond, when we play host to a series of gigs like the ones at Dalymount, when Pele and Zidane grace the pitch- then we’ll talk.
Aye, was just going to say as much.
Richmond Park may be a kip, but it’s an unimportant kip 😉
In all seriousness, some of us can remember when Richmond Park was a bit worse than it is today. Stadium of Light days!
This is a great piece, glad to see there’s some variety of views now too.
[…] The last clash between our two sides, at Dalymount, was a great one. The final, not so much. I’ve no doubt if we got one goal, playing the way we were, we had every chance of taking the Cup. Alas, football doesn’t work that way. Bohemian F.C lifted it, and to the sound of Hold Me Now we made the walk back across the bridge to the car, parked in the Liffey Valley of simpler times. Some of our lot went back to Inchicore for a few drinks, no doubt the Bohs lads did the same on their end (You know what I mean, I doubt they went to Inchicore), and scarves were hung up until next Friday. Who needs high profile friendly kickabouts in the Aviva after days like that? […]