Shamrock close to finding home after stadium vote

Without a home stadium for nearly 20 years, Irish Eircom First Division club Shamrock moved one step closer to a permanent home after the South Dublin City Council voted in favour of developing Tallaght Stadium as a football-specific venue. Shamrock is expected to be the stadium’s anchor tenant.

Eighteen of the council’s 22 members voted in favour of the proposal, which means there will be no room at the venue for Gaelic games, Ireland’s traditional sport. Work on completing Tallaght Stadium is scheduled to resume in April. Several Gaelic clubs have been trying to convince the council to vote against the football-specific measure, however the stadium would receive government funding only on that condition.

Expectedly, Shamrock officials were delighted with the move. “This is tremendous news for Shamrock Rovers and our fans,” said Mark Lynch, a director of the club. “After so many setbacks over the years only a fool would claim that we are over the line. However, the three main criteria are now in place for work to restart. It’s a one-sport stadium, the Department of Sport will provide finance and SDCC is backing the project.” Long term plans for the stadium involve it sharing ground with St. Patrick’s Athletic. The government has said it will donate EUR 20 million toward the renovation of Tallaght and Dalymount Park, St. Patrick’s stadium.

The move is part of Genesis’s White Paper for Strategic Direction of the Eircom League, first published in 2005. The proposal also calls for another Eircom League club, Shelbourne, to move into Dalymount Park. Meanwhile, the Dublin County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association is expected to launch legal challenge to the SDCC’s decision. Shamrock has been without a home since 1987.