Dalymount Park

THE Irish football stadium.
I say this as a proud Saint Patrick’s Athletic fan. We have a long history here too, in what is the home of the game in Ireland.
Some of my favourite moments as a Saint have taken place within this stadium. Who could forget Keith Fahey’s wondergoal for example?
The history in here is mindblowing. The atmosphere incredible. The chipper van, from Burdocks, surely an experience most of us non-​Bohs fans are envious of. The pubs, sadly, are off limits to away support, but I’ve been in two and they’re fine spots, loved by the Bohs faithful.
The stadium is crumbing, and that is tragic. We owe more to the game in Ireland than that. Football is not about flying with Ryanair to see Man United, it’s about supporting your local team. Thousands of Dubliners will mourn the loss of Dalymount, let us hope it never comes to that.
The Connaught Stand should be torn down, but you can’t beat being in the shed as an away supporter, when both us and the Jodi are in full voice. There is a Burdocks just outside too, so away fans can get into some tasty grub pre or post match.

Crumbling relic from another age or home of Irish football (soccer)? What is not up for debate is that the home ground of Bohemians FC has seen witnessed some great occasions and if you want to find out a little about the working class roots of the garrison game on the northside of Dublin this is where you come. Like Barcelona, the club is owned by its members and thus so is the ground. It was nearly sold a few years back but the deal (like the nation’s property bubble) came to nothing. The fact that matches are played over the summer makes it very appealing to those who want to meet the ‘hardcore’ Irish soccer fan and those who want to learn some new curse words.
Recent additions include a Burdock’s chipper and a bar which helps while away the 15 minutes of half time.
Best to avoid if Bohs (as they are known) are playing the Hoops (Shamrock Rovers) as it can get a bit, well messy.

Teetering on the edge of existence for so many years — decay, redevelopment, crisis after crisis — Dalymount Park is the home of Bohemians.
For those of a certain generation, Dalymount is also the home of Irish football: the Irish team played internationals there for decades before heading to Lansdowne Road and, latterly, Croke Park. The days of squeezing 48,000 into such an outdated stadium, sadly, are long gone.
If you can’t find it, just look for the floodlights.