Jump to content

Tolka Park

Coordinates:53°22′03″N6°15′07″W/ 53.36750°N 6.25194°W/53.36750; -6.25194
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Tolka Park
Tolka
Tolka Park is located in Dublin
Tolka Park
Tolka Park
Location within Dublin
Full nameTolka Park
LocationDrumcondra,Dublin,Ireland
Public transitDrumcondra railway station
Capacity5700[1]
Opened1924
Tenants
Home Farm Drums1950s–1989

Shelbourne1950s–
Shamrock Rovers1987–1988

Ireland national rugby league team(1998–2006)

Tolka Park(Irish:Páirc na Tulchann) is anIrishfootballground located in thenorthDublinsuburb ofDrumcondra,on the northern banks of theRiver Tolka.It is currently the home ground ofLeague of IrelandclubShelbourne.[2]The stadium formerly held 9,680 people, but this has been scaled down in recent times due to health and safety regulations in the venue, mainly concerning the 'New' and Ballybough stands. Tolka Park has hosted national cup finals along with international matches,Champions League qualifiers,UEFA Cup,UEFA Cup Winners' Cup,UEFA Cup,UEFA Conference Leagueties and was a venue for the1994 UEFA European Under-16 Championshipand2000 Rugby League World Cup.

Shelbourne secured a 250-year lease from Dublin City Council in 2024.[3]Uncertainty began with the sale of the ground by Shelbourne to businessman Ossie Kilkenny in 2006,[4]the purchase of the ground by Dublin City Council in 2015, and a proposal to redevelopDalymount Parkas a shared home for Shelbourne andBohemian F.C..[5][6][7]

History[edit]

Over the years, seven different League of Ireland clubs have used Tolka Park for home league matches on a regular basis. They areDrumcondra,Shelbourne,Dolphin,Home Farm,Dublin City,Shamrock RoversandSt James Gate F.C.

Home Farm Drums[edit]

Tolka Park was originally home toDrumcondra,who in the 1950s, and 1960s were one of the most popular teams in Dublin[citation needed].

Tolka’s first League of Ireland game was held on the opening day of the1928-29 League of Irelandseason on 26 August 1928 when newly elected Drumcondra F.C. hostedShamrock Rovers.

In 1929, over 30 people were injured at the ground when a hoarding collapsed at aDrumcondravsShelbournecup-tie.[8]The ground hosted the first floodlit fixture in the Republic of Ireland on 30 March 1953 when Drums beatSt Mirren F.C.[9]

On 26 January 1958 Tolka was the venue for the first all-ticket match to be played in the League of Ireland when Drums hosted Shamrock Rovers. Due to crowd issues the match was subsequently abandoned with the points awarded to Rovers.

However "Drums" merged with local teamHome Farmin 1972, and after the demise of Drumcondra, Home Farm moved into the ground. However, Home Farm never drew large crowds and Tolka fell into disrepair (though it did host the replay of the 1984 FAI Cup final).

Shelbourne F.C.[edit]

In 1989, Shelbourne, who had played home games regularly in Tolka during the fifties, sixties, seventies, and early eighties, acquired Home Farm's long term lease fromDublin Corporationon the ground. Home Farm moved to their own ground in nearbyWhitehall Stadium.Shelbourne invested heavily in the stadium, converting it into Ireland's first all-seater stadium and building a new stand behind the Drumcondra end goal in 1999.

The first-everLeague of Irelandmatch to be broadcast live on TV was a fixture between Shelbourne andDerry City,staged at Tolka Park during the 1996/97 season.

However, Shelbourne FC ran into several severe problems that have put the future of Tolka Park in doubt. One problem was a flood in 2000 that caused extensive damage to the pitch and greatly increased the club's insurance costs. But a far more serious long-term problem was caused by the club's getting into severe debt through overspending on playing staff. In 2006,Ollie Byrne,Shelbourne Chief Executive sold the ground to property developer Ossie Kilkenny to help repay the club's debts.[10][11]Shelbourne are still playing at the venue but its future is uncertain. Legal action between the parties who bought the ground delayed its demolition and development,[12]as has a slowdown in the Irish property market.[13]By 2011, the club were reporting that the ground was in need of maintenance.[14]

Shamrock Rovers F.C.[edit]

In 1987, the then owners ofShamrock Rovers,the Kilcoyne family, attempted to move the club to Tolka Park. Rovers played there for a season, but the games were boycotted by some of their fans, who were trying to saveGlenmalure Parkfrom demolition.

Rovers returned to the ground in 1996 which they rented for a time from Shelbourne on and off (1996–1999, 2001–2002, 2004–2005 and 2006–2008) whileTallaght Stadiumwas being developed. They eventually moved into the Tallaght Stadium in 2009. Rovers' home tie against Sligo Rovers during the 2009 season was moved to Tolka Park amid safety concerns due to construction on-site at Tallaght before the club friendly against Real Madrid.[15]

Ireland Football[edit]

Tolka Park has staged two full internationals for theRepublic of Irelandmen in 1981 and 1993. Both matches were friendlies againstWales.

Ireland International Football Matches
Date Home Score Opponent Competition Attendance
24 February 1981 Republic of Ireland 1–3 Wales Friendly 15,000[16]
17 February 1993 Republic of Ireland 2–1 Wales Friendly 9,500[17]

Women's football[edit]

Anne O'Brienscored ahat-trickat Tolka Park in 1971, as her Vards team beat St John Bosco 3–2 in the final of the Drumcondra Cup.[18]Tolka Park hosted the 2010FAI Women's Cupfinal, in whichÁine O'Gormanscored a hat-trick to helpPeamount UnitedbeatSalthill Devon4–2.[19]TheRepublic of Irelandwomen have sporadically played games at Tolka Park including a 0–0 friendly draw againstFrancein September 1978[20]and a 1–01999 FIFA Women's World Cup qualification (UEFA)defeat byPolandin November 1997.[21]

In March 2019Shelbourne's women's teamannounced that they would play their home fixtures at Tolka Park, instead of the smaller AUL Complex.[22]In October 2021 theTG4Irish languagetelevision network broadcast the first everWomen's National Leaguematch.Alex Kavanaghscored the goal in Shelbourne's 1–0 win overDLR Wavesat Tolka Park.[23]

Rugby League[edit]

TheIrish Rugby League Teamhave also played home games at the ground and hosted two games of the2000 Rugby League World Cup.[24]

International Rugby League Matches
Date Home Score Opponent Competition Attendance
4 November 1998 Ireland 22–24 France European Tri Nations Championship 1,511[24]
31 October 1999 Ireland 31–10 Scotland Triangular Series 385[24]
1 November 2000 Ireland 18–6 Scotland 2000 Rugby League World Cup 1,782[24]
4 November 2000 Ireland 30–16 Māori peopleMaori 2000 Rugby League World Cup 3,164[24]
5 November 2006 Ireland 18–18 Lebanon 2008 RLWC qualifying 450[24]

Other Uses[edit]

From 1999 to 2002 it hosted theFAI Cupfinal until the fixture was shifted toLansdowne Road.The stadium hosted the firstSetanta CupFinal whenLinfielddefeated Shelbourne. Tolka hosted two games in the2011 UEFA Regions' Cup.

In August 1938, September 1939 and April 1947 it held boxing championship bouts.[25][26][27]

On 8 June 1951,Jack Doyle (boxer)faced “Two Ton”Tony Galentoin a professional wrestling match in front of 22,500 attendees.[28][29]

In 1959, the world famousHarlem Globetrottersplayed two basketball matches in Tolka Park on a specially imported court.[30]

Current layout[edit]

Richmond Road[edit]

TheRichmond Road StandorMain Standruns the length of the north side of the pitch. TheTechnical areais located at the stand as well as theBox office,StadiumBarandFirst aidarea. The stand is named after Richmond Road which is directly behind the stand.

Riverside Stand[edit]

TheRiverside Standruns the length of the south side of the pitch. Today it is mainly used forBroadcastingand seating home fans. It is named after theRiver Tolkawhich is nearby.

Drumcondra Stand[edit]

TheDrumcondra StandorNew Standis located behind the goal at the west end of the ground and it is the most recent stand opened in 2000. The stand is named after the town ofDrumcondrawhich is located behind the stand. TheUltraswithin the club's support base formerly congregated in the Drumcondra Stand, but it has been closed since 2019 due to major structural issues with the roof. The Drumcondra stand also houses the dressing rooms. The club shop is located beside the stand.

Ballybough End[edit]

TheBallybough Endis located behind the goal at the east end of the ground. It is named after the neighbourhood ofBallyboughwhich is located behind the stand. The Ballybough stand has become neglected over the years due to the decreased attendance of Shelbourne and was deemed unsafe and closed by the Dublin Fire Brigade Health and Safety Unit in 2010. The stand was reopened in time for the 2022 season to house away fans. The broken seats that formerly occupied the stand were removed and replaced with standing barriers, transforming the lower half of the stand into a terrace with a capacity of 800. This may be increased in the future pending other infrastructural improvements.[31]In July 2023, the away allocation for visiting clubs in the Ballybough End increased by 250.

References in popular culture[edit]

  • The ground has appeared in the fictional football dramaDream TeamwhenHarchester Unitedwere drawn to play Shelbourne in theUEFA Cup.
  • The ground appeared in the football comedyFranwhere Fran's club St Peter's United lost a cup final held at Tolka Park.
  • A chapter of Dermot Bolger's novel, 'A Second Life',takes place in Tolka Park, during a European competition match in which Shelbourne overturn a first-leg defeat over Ukrainian side, Karpaty Lvov, and the novel's narrator and his young son are ushered off the pitch by Ollie Byrne during a celebratory pitch invasion.

Future[edit]

Since the sale of Tolka Park in 2006, Shelbourne have been trying to relocate to a new ground. Plans for a new stadium inFinglasandSwordscame to nothing, as has an FAI-backed proposed ground-share with North Dublin neighboursBohemians.Plans were underway in March and April 2015 for theCouncilto take back ownership of the land, and for Shelbourne to groundshare Bohemians in (newly Council-owned)Dalymount Park.[5][32][33]On 4 October 2016 Shelbourne announced that they would leave Tolka Park for a newly refurbished Dalymount Park.[34]In April 2021, the Dalymount redevelopment was expected to conclude by 2025.[35]

A local campaign called 'Save Tolka Park' was set up with the aim to secure the future of the stadium and prevent the stadium from being demolished.[36]In February 2022, the city council agreed to examine the feasibility of the sale of the stadium back to Shelbourne.[6]

Transportation[edit]

Public transit[edit]

Tolka Park is served byIrish Railcommuter services that stop atDrumcondra,on routes to and fromDublin ConnollyservingM3 Parkway,Maynooth,andHazelhatch/Celbridge.Dublin Busroutes 1 | 16 | 33 | 41 | 41b | 41c also stop near the stadium.

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^"UPDATE | TOLKA PARK UPGRADE WORKS".Shelbourne FC.Retrieved11 April2024.
  2. ^"Shelbourne FC website".Archived fromthe originalon 18 February 2009.
  3. ^"Shelbourne FC secure 250 year Tolka Park lease".ShelbourneFC.ie.13 May 2024.
  4. ^"'Byrne the key for future of Shelbourne' claims Kilkenny ".Independent.ie.16 February 2007.
  5. ^abO'Donoghue, Paul (18 March 2015)."Council strikes €3.4m deal to buy Dalymount Park".Irish Independent.Retrieved19 March2015.
  6. ^ab"Dublin City Council receives proposal from Shelbourne FC to purchase Tolka Park Football Stadium".Dublin City Council.18 February 2022.
  7. ^"Shelbourne look set to remain at Tolka Park following Dublin City Council recommendations".The42.5 May 2022.
  8. ^"30 People Hurt at Football Match".The Cornishman.31 January 1929.Retrieved19 March2015– viaBritish Newspaper Archive.
  9. ^"Floodlit Soccer Match A Success".The Irish Times.31 March 1953.
  10. ^"Shelbourne take the long road back to the big time".The Irish Times.
  11. ^"Throwback to the glory days".independent.14 October 2011.
  12. ^"Cafolla -v- Kilkenny & Ors, [2010] IEHC 24 (2010) - Case Law - VLEX 195434655".
  13. ^"Showpiece clash gives Shels brief respite from battling legacy of excess".independent.5 November 2011.
  14. ^"SSDG Working Groups".Shelbourne FC.Archived fromthe originalon 26 November 2007.
  15. ^McDonald, Henry (17 July 2009)."Real Madrid visit causes Rovers regret".The Guardian.
  16. ^"24.02.1981 at 20:00 Tolka Park".Soccer Scene.Retrieved27 May2021.
  17. ^"17.02.1993 at 00:00 Tolka Park".Soccer Scene.Retrieved27 May2021.
  18. ^Leonard, Stephen (23 October 2020)."Echo Sport Replay: O'Brien - The flame that helped light a path for women footballers in Ireland".The Echo (Dublin newspaper).Retrieved3 December2022.
  19. ^"Peamount's Áine O'Gorman hopes it's third time lucky for in FAI Cup final [sic]".The Irish Times.
  20. ^"23.09.1978 at 15:00 Dublin Ireland 0-0 France".SoccerScene.ie.Retrieved3 December2022.
  21. ^"It's a funny old game, just ask the Irish".The Irish Times.1 November 1997.Retrieved3 December2022.
  22. ^Farrell, Sinead (12 March 2019)."Shelbourne drop 'Ladies' from women's team name in bid to achieve equality for all players".The 42.ie.Retrieved16 September2020.
  23. ^Donnelly, Dave (2 October 2021)."Shelbourne's Alex Kavanagh makes history as spectacular strike settles first-ever live WNL broadcast with DLR Waves win".Dublin Live.Retrieved3 December2022.
  24. ^abcdef"Tolka Park".Rugby League Project.Retrieved26 May2021.
  25. ^"Hampston Fights To-night".Hull Daily Mail.4 August 1938.Retrieved19 March2015– viaBritish Newspaper Archive.
  26. ^"Three Title Bouts at Tolka Park".The Irish Times.1 September 1939. p. 11.
  27. ^"To-Days Sports Diary".The Irish Times.23 April 1947. p. 2.
  28. ^Cite error: The named referenceCroke 2021was invoked but never defined (see thehelp page).
  29. ^Cite error: The named referenceHannigan 2021was invoked but never defined (see thehelp page).
  30. ^"Paddy Woods recalls the day Arkle came to Tolka Park".Irish Mirror.16 April 2024.
  31. ^NEW STAND AT TOLKA PARK UPDATE,Shelbourne F.C., 28 October 2021
  32. ^"Council To Buy Dalymount Park".Dublin's 98FM.18 March 2015.Retrieved19 March2015.
  33. ^Emmet Malone(30 April 2015)."Dublin City Council keen to progress with Dalymount Park deal".Irish Times.Retrieved1 May2015.
  34. ^"Shelbourne to leave Tolka Park for Dalymount".RTÉ.ie.4 October 2016.
  35. ^O'Brien, Mark (9 April 2021)."Dalymount Park redevelopment moves one step closer as Bohs issue positive update".DublinLive.
  36. ^"Save Tolka Park".SaveTolkaPark.11 February 2022.

Sources[edit]

External links[edit]

53°22′03″N6°15′07″W/ 53.36750°N 6.25194°W/53.36750; -6.25194

Preceded by
None
 Host of theSetanta Sports Cup Final
2005
2006 		Succeeded by
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Tolka_Park&oldid=1234496170"