Tolka Park

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
Capacity5,700[1]
Opened1924
Tenants
Home Farm Drums (1950s–1989)
Shelbourne (1950s–)
Shamrock Rovers (1987–1988, 2005-2006)
Ireland national rugby league team (1998–2006)

Tolka Park (Irish: Páirc na Tulchann) is an Irish association football ground located in the north Dublin suburb of Drumcondra, on the northern banks of the River Tolka. It is currently the home ground of League of Ireland club Shelbourne.[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 League ties and was a venue for the 1994 UEFA European Under-16 Championship and 2000 Rugby League World Cup. The ground has also in the past been used for boxing championships and basketball.

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 redevelop Dalymount Park as a shared home for Shelbourne and Bohemians.[5][6][7]

  1. ^ "UPDATE | TOLKA PARK UPGRADE WORKS". Shelbourne FC. Retrieved 11 April 2024.
  2. ^ "Shelbourne FC website". Archived from the original on 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. ^ Cite error: The named reference Council15 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ "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.