THE CORNER SHOP a few yards from Dalymount Park is quiet before the Latin storm.
It’s a couple of hours before this last Dublin derby here between Bohemians and Shamrock Rovers under the lights on a Friday night.
With the ground redevelopment set to begin at the end of this season a new dawn awaits. The Venezuelan Bohs will be part of that future.
The tall one in the Caracas bucket hat and Bohs trackie top knows exactly where to go for his can of Red Bull.
“Are you over from Venezuela?” The 42 asks.
“No, man. Blanch,” he says.
His bellowing laugh could sound the shop’s alarm.
His mate is not Venezuelan at all, he’s from Seville in the south of Spain, but the two club members fly the flag together and are draped in it for Bohs as they produce it from a bag and pose proudly together.
“I married an Irish woman and relocated to Dublin, after three months I knew no one else and knew nothing about the League of Ireland. That was 10 years ago,” our man from Seville says.
“The mother of my daughter, I thank you, she says to me I should go to Dalymount Park and you will find the people that are like you. I found my purpose, something that gives a meaning to my life in Dublin. I can go anywhere in Ireland or the world and say I am Bohemians.”
Advertisement
Our man from Caracas smiles once more, the endearing ferocity of his laugh probably startling the driver of the passing 120 bus to Parnell Street.
“I was a big ultra back home,” he says. “I moved here 15 years ago and came to Blanch. It was Rovers or Bohs for me and I identified with Bohs. The red and black, the people. I thought ‘let’s do it, man’, so I did.”
The Venezuelan Bohs.
This conversation could go anywhere but The Venezuelan Bohs have their community from Cabra and Finglas and Clondalkin to catch up with before kick-off.
In a week when the reputation of the League of Ireland took a battering because of what was undoubtedly an excessive and dangerous use of pyro from Drogheda United supporters, this felt like a timely reminder of the purpose and the uniqueness of our league, of its ability to become a place of belonging.
“I would go alone to matches but I don’t have to. We have our people and our community here,” the Seville native says before leaving.
It’s a message echoed by a group of LGBTQ Bohs who pitchside before kick off. “This club belongs to you. Football belongs to you,” one of them says on the microphone. “We’re going to work hard this year to make our club the most inclusive club in the country.”
Applause greeted the message, one that deserves to be carried further.
The Minister for Sport, Patrick O’Donovan, seemed to take a gleeful pleasure in his many, many public appearances in the wake of events at Oriel Park last week. Whether he decides to pick another fight for the flares that went up here once again remains to be seen, although none were thrown onto the pitch.
Credit to the Limerick TD – Treaty United lost 2-0 at UCD in case he’s wondering this morning – he managed to unite Bohs and Rovers with mutual disdain here, although it was the away end that made their point most forcefully with a banner – supplemented by pyro – that had a simple message.
“PATRICK O’DONOVAN – THIS IS OUR CULTURE. THIS IS OUR LIFE – GET FUCKED”
One half of the Shamrock Rovers' message to the Minister for Sport, Patrick O'Donovan. Ryan Byrne / INPHO
Ryan Byrne / INPHO / INPHO
In a week of harsh words maybe these fans were keen to have the final say?
The Bohs faithful had an Aertel-inspired scoreline tifo of their own to remind Rovers of that thrilling comeback from 4-1 down at half-time 25 years ago. The manager that day was Roddy Collins, he too spoke pitchside before kick-off and was asked what he did to help his players turn things around.
“Like any good coach I went into the toilet and prayed to my father. True story,” he beamed.
By kick-off anticipation had slowly morphed into to that familiar feeling of stomach-churning anguish, the release coming in varying forms. There was one supporter near the press box who decided on 15 minutes to go for sausages and chips, returning when Connor Parsons had put Bohs 1-0 up to ask his mates.”Who scored?”
The Minister may want to cover his eyes and ears but there were slow, drawn out chants of “You Dirty Rovers bastards” while an early booking for Bohs captain Dawson Devoy led to a singular shout from a lone voice. “Ye stupid fucking eejit.”
We’ll just never know if it was aimed at the player for the foul or the referee for being the referee.
Bohs fans celebrate. Tom Maher / INPHO
Tom Maher / INPHO / INPHO
Bohs were flying and the fans were buzzing. An impromptu keep-ball rondo involving Devoy, Ross Tierney and Colm Whelan – all three excellent all night – led to another emphatic assessment from the stands.
“What a fucking team.”
They were doing the business, alright, and when Whelan made it 2-0 from the spot on 56 minutes Bohs were positively giddy at the thought of a record victory over the beleaguered champions.
Patrick Hickey was making his first appearance here as a Bohs player and his controlled aggression combined with some tidy build up play from the back had roars of “USA, USA, USA” ringing around a ground that was also decked out with Palestinian flags and messages of support for Gaza.
What’s that? Conflicting ideologies can co-exist and be celebrated in harmony so long as there is someone who gets you off your feet with a sliding tackle or rises for every header like he’s trying to reach the top of Dalymount’s famous floodlights.
Related Reads
Bohemians survive late Shamrock Rovers rally for frenetic 3-2 derby win
League of Ireland footballers put FAI to shame with moral clarity over Israel
St Patrick's Athletic collaborate with Wolfe Tones to release new jersey
Republic of Ireland manager Heimir Hallgrímsson was in attendance alongside assistant John O’Shea, and perhaps the latter could explain to him why the home fans dipped into the usual song book of Hold Me Now, The Auld Triangle and Freed From Desire.
But when Tierney made it 3-0 with a couple minutes of normal time remaining it was simply mayhem that reigned supreme in the creaking, aching stands that are sustained by history and pride. In the grand scheme of it all last night will just form one small part of it, but there will be some who cherish this memory long after many more have forgotten it. Two late goals for Rovers in injury time almost spoiled the party.
Bohs boss Alan Reynolds. Tom Maher / INPHO
Tom Maher / INPHO / INPHO
“Look, I don’t know if it sends out a message to anyone,” Bohs boss Alan Reynolds said, his side top of the table on 10 points after three wins a draw from their opening four games.
“All I know is that we want to build on this and it sends a message to the group that if you turn up and you train properly and you prepare, you put in 90 minutes like that, ut it also sends a message if you switch off it could end up being costly.
“After 90 minutes, I’m buzzing with myself, I’m buzzing with the players but the last five minutes, my Jesus, I couldn’t wait for it to end. I think the crowd were brilliant. The atmosphere was through the roof.”
The Venezuelan Bohs. Ryan Byrne / INPHO
Ryan Byrne / INPHO / INPHO
And as the last photo above shows, one half of The Venezuelan Bohs was nearly bursting through that roof. Everyone around these parts hopes this is the start of a glorious goodbye to Dalymount Park.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
Close
Comments
This is YOUR comments community. Stay civil, stay constructive, stay on topic.
Please familiarise yourself with our comments policy
here
before taking part.
Dalymount's glorious goodbye - 'I found a purpose, something that gives meaning to my life in Dublin'
THE CORNER SHOP a few yards from Dalymount Park is quiet before the Latin storm.
It’s a couple of hours before this last Dublin derby here between Bohemians and Shamrock Rovers under the lights on a Friday night.
With the ground redevelopment set to begin at the end of this season a new dawn awaits. The Venezuelan Bohs will be part of that future.
The tall one in the Caracas bucket hat and Bohs trackie top knows exactly where to go for his can of Red Bull.
“Are you over from Venezuela?” The 42 asks.
“No, man. Blanch,” he says.
His bellowing laugh could sound the shop’s alarm.
His mate is not Venezuelan at all, he’s from Seville in the south of Spain, but the two club members fly the flag together and are draped in it for Bohs as they produce it from a bag and pose proudly together.
“I married an Irish woman and relocated to Dublin, after three months I knew no one else and knew nothing about the League of Ireland. That was 10 years ago,” our man from Seville says.
“The mother of my daughter, I thank you, she says to me I should go to Dalymount Park and you will find the people that are like you. I found my purpose, something that gives a meaning to my life in Dublin. I can go anywhere in Ireland or the world and say I am Bohemians.”
Our man from Caracas smiles once more, the endearing ferocity of his laugh probably startling the driver of the passing 120 bus to Parnell Street.
“I was a big ultra back home,” he says. “I moved here 15 years ago and came to Blanch. It was Rovers or Bohs for me and I identified with Bohs. The red and black, the people. I thought ‘let’s do it, man’, so I did.”
This conversation could go anywhere but The Venezuelan Bohs have their community from Cabra and Finglas and Clondalkin to catch up with before kick-off.
In a week when the reputation of the League of Ireland took a battering because of what was undoubtedly an excessive and dangerous use of pyro from Drogheda United supporters, this felt like a timely reminder of the purpose and the uniqueness of our league, of its ability to become a place of belonging.
“I would go alone to matches but I don’t have to. We have our people and our community here,” the Seville native says before leaving.
It’s a message echoed by a group of LGBTQ Bohs who pitchside before kick off. “This club belongs to you. Football belongs to you,” one of them says on the microphone. “We’re going to work hard this year to make our club the most inclusive club in the country.”
Applause greeted the message, one that deserves to be carried further.
The Minister for Sport, Patrick O’Donovan, seemed to take a gleeful pleasure in his many, many public appearances in the wake of events at Oriel Park last week. Whether he decides to pick another fight for the flares that went up here once again remains to be seen, although none were thrown onto the pitch.
Credit to the Limerick TD – Treaty United lost 2-0 at UCD in case he’s wondering this morning – he managed to unite Bohs and Rovers with mutual disdain here, although it was the away end that made their point most forcefully with a banner – supplemented by pyro – that had a simple message.
“PATRICK O’DONOVAN – THIS IS OUR CULTURE. THIS IS OUR LIFE – GET FUCKED”
In a week of harsh words maybe these fans were keen to have the final say?
The Bohs faithful had an Aertel-inspired scoreline tifo of their own to remind Rovers of that thrilling comeback from 4-1 down at half-time 25 years ago. The manager that day was Roddy Collins, he too spoke pitchside before kick-off and was asked what he did to help his players turn things around.
“Like any good coach I went into the toilet and prayed to my father. True story,” he beamed.
By kick-off anticipation had slowly morphed into to that familiar feeling of stomach-churning anguish, the release coming in varying forms. There was one supporter near the press box who decided on 15 minutes to go for sausages and chips, returning when Connor Parsons had put Bohs 1-0 up to ask his mates.”Who scored?”
The Minister may want to cover his eyes and ears but there were slow, drawn out chants of “You Dirty Rovers bastards” while an early booking for Bohs captain Dawson Devoy led to a singular shout from a lone voice. “Ye stupid fucking eejit.”
We’ll just never know if it was aimed at the player for the foul or the referee for being the referee.
Bohs were flying and the fans were buzzing. An impromptu keep-ball rondo involving Devoy, Ross Tierney and Colm Whelan – all three excellent all night – led to another emphatic assessment from the stands.
“What a fucking team.”
They were doing the business, alright, and when Whelan made it 2-0 from the spot on 56 minutes Bohs were positively giddy at the thought of a record victory over the beleaguered champions.
Patrick Hickey was making his first appearance here as a Bohs player and his controlled aggression combined with some tidy build up play from the back had roars of “USA, USA, USA” ringing around a ground that was also decked out with Palestinian flags and messages of support for Gaza.
What’s that? Conflicting ideologies can co-exist and be celebrated in harmony so long as there is someone who gets you off your feet with a sliding tackle or rises for every header like he’s trying to reach the top of Dalymount’s famous floodlights.
Republic of Ireland manager Heimir Hallgrímsson was in attendance alongside assistant John O’Shea, and perhaps the latter could explain to him why the home fans dipped into the usual song book of Hold Me Now, The Auld Triangle and Freed From Desire.
But when Tierney made it 3-0 with a couple minutes of normal time remaining it was simply mayhem that reigned supreme in the creaking, aching stands that are sustained by history and pride. In the grand scheme of it all last night will just form one small part of it, but there will be some who cherish this memory long after many more have forgotten it. Two late goals for Rovers in injury time almost spoiled the party.
“Look, I don’t know if it sends out a message to anyone,” Bohs boss Alan Reynolds said, his side top of the table on 10 points after three wins a draw from their opening four games.
“All I know is that we want to build on this and it sends a message to the group that if you turn up and you train properly and you prepare, you put in 90 minutes like that, ut it also sends a message if you switch off it could end up being costly.
“After 90 minutes, I’m buzzing with myself, I’m buzzing with the players but the last five minutes, my Jesus, I couldn’t wait for it to end. I think the crowd were brilliant. The atmosphere was through the roof.”
And as the last photo above shows, one half of The Venezuelan Bohs was nearly bursting through that roof. Everyone around these parts hopes this is the start of a glorious goodbye to Dalymount Park.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
Bohemians finding a home League of Ireland loi2026 Shamrock Rovers Soccer