 | ||||
| Full name | Bohemian Football Club | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nicknames | Bohs The Gypsies Dublin's Originals | |||
| Founded | 6 September 1890; 135 years ago (1890-09-06) | |||
| Ground | Dalymount Park | |||
| Capacity | 4,500 | |||
| Owner | Fan owned | |||
| Manager | Alan Reynolds | |||
| League | League of Ireland Premier Division | |||
| 2025 | League of Ireland Premier Division, 4th of 10 | |||
| Website | bohemians | |||
 Current season | ||||
Bohemian Football Club (Irish:An Cumann Peile Bóihéamach),[1] more commonly referred to asBohemians orBohs, is anIrish professional association football club based inDublin. Bohemians compete in thePremier Division of theLeague of Ireland. Bohs are the fourth-most successful club inLeague of Ireland football history, having won the League of Ireland title 11 times, theFAI Cup seven times, theLeague of Ireland Shield six times. and theLeague of Ireland Cup three times. Prior to the establishment of theFootball Association of Ireland andLeague of Ireland, Bohemians competed in theIrish Football League andIrish Cup, which were then all-Ireland competitions. During that period, they won theIrish Cup once and finished runners-up five times. They hold the record forLeinster Senior Cup wins with 33 cups claimed.
Bohemians were founded by members of Bell's Academy (a Civil Service college), theRoyal Hibernian Military School (a school for orphaned children of members of the British armed forces in Ireland),[2][3] medical students and others, on 6 September 1890 in thePhoenix Park Gate Lodge beside the North Circular Road entrance and played its first games in the Park's Polo Grounds. They were one of the founding members of the League of Ireland in 1921, after their withdrawal from theIrish Football League. They established themselves as a major force within the first 15 years of the League of Ireland, winning five league titles, two FAI Cups, and four Shields, but struggled for decades after that, largely due to their strict amateur status, going 34 seasons without winning a major trophy.
Bohemians dropped their amateur ethos in 1969 and won two League titles, two FAI Cups, and two League cups during the 1970s. They suffered further decline throughout the 1980s and most of the 1990s before claiming League and Cup doubles in2001 and2008, alongside the2003 and most recently2009 title wins. They are the only club to have won all four domestic trophy "doubles" available in Irish football history (League and FAI Cup, League and Shield, League and Dublin City Cup, and League and League Cup).
Bohemians play their home matches atDalymount Park inPhibsborough on thenorthside of Dublin. They are owned 100% by the members of the club. Their club colours are red and black, which they adopted 1894. Bohemians supporters often refer to their club by a number of nicknames including Bohs, The Gypsies, and Dublin's Originals, and provideone half of a bitter rivalry withsouthside club,Shamrock Rovers. Since the 2010s, Bohemians have adopted a left-wing political culture at the club.
Bohemians were founded on 6 September 1890 at the Phoenix Park's North Circular Gate Lodge by students from Bells Academy, a civil service college, and the Hibernian Military School.[4][2][5] The club initially played their home games at the Polo Grounds in the Phoenix Park before moving to Jones Road in 1893.[6][2] The following year, Bohemians adopted red and black as their club colours having previously played in white shirts with two red stripes.[6][7] They became the first Dublin club to join theIrish Football League in 1902 and were members from 1902 to 1911 and from 1912 to 1920.[8] During this time the club's greatest success was winning theIrish Cup in 1908.
It was a founding member of theLeague of Ireland in 1921, and it is one of only two clubs to have been members of the League of Ireland since its inception (the other beingShelbourne), and it is the only club to have been ever-present in the top division of the league. In its first season it finished second in the league, just two points behindSt. James Gate. The club won its first league title in 1924. In1928 the club won its second league title and completed a double that season by winning its firstFAI Cup also.[9] The club was one of the major forces in the early years of the league, going on to win another three league titles and another FAI Cup in the next eight seasons. It was also during this period that a sister club,Bohemian Queens, was founded inQueens, New York in the 1920s by former Bohemian FC players who had emigrated to the United States.
After this success, Bohemian FC began to struggle, often finishing at the foot of the league and rarely mounting a title challenge, largely because of an inability to attract or keep top players due to its strict amateur status, which had been a fundamental part of the club since its formation. The club went 34 seasons without winning a major trophy. In 1969 the club ended its amateur status, and the first player to sign professional terms wasTony O'Connell, who signed on 11 March 1969.
The club then went on to win two league titles, two FAI Cups and two league cups in the 1970s, more trophies than any other club that decade. In 1970 the club entered European competition for the first time where it was beaten in the first qualifying round of theEuropean Cup Winners' Cup (see below). The club went through another trophy-less spell after its 1979 league cup victory, which was not broken until the club won its fifth FAI Cup in 1992.
It was not until 2001 that it regained the league title, also winning the FAI Cup that season to complete its second double. After adding another league title in 2003, Bohemians triumphed once again in 2008, underPat Fenlon, winning the double of both the league for the tenth time with four league games still to play,[10] and the FAI cup in a penalty shoot-out.[11]In September 2009, Bohemians claimed theLeague Cup for the third time in the club's history with a 3–1 win overWaterford United in the final.[12]
On 6 November 2009, Bohemians retained thetitle after a 1–1 draw againstBray Wanderers.[13] They were already assured of the league title before the final round of matches as they held a three-point lead and 16-goal difference advantage over their nearest rivalsShamrock Rovers. CaptainOwen Heary collected the Premier Division trophy for the club's first back-to-back league win.[14] Bohs narrowly missed out on a hat trick of league titles on goal difference in 2010 in a season which also saw them suffer European disappointment at the hands of Welsh club TNS.
Bohemians' first home ground was the Polo Grounds in thePhoenix Park. Goal posts and other equipment were kept at the park's gate lodge onNorth Circular Road which also doubled as a dressing room.[6] They remained there until the 1893–94 season when they obtained a private ground on Jones Road, later known asCroke Park, the headquarters of theGaelic Athletic Association.[15] The space then took in the ground previously occupied by theOld Belvedere playing pitches and now occupied by the Cusack Stand. For the first time it was possible for the club to build up some sort of finances, since a charge for admission was made at all important home matches.
They moved to a new home at Whitehall Farm,Glasnevin, in time for the start of the 1895–96 season but in those days, the area was out of the way and without public transport so the Bohemian committee continued to look for a new home ground.
Their search came to an end when they moved toDalymount Park which was officially opened on 7 September 1901.[16] The first match was played between Bohemians andShelbourne F.C. and a crowd of 3,000 saw a 4–2 victory for Bohs.[17]
A crowd of 6,000 spectators witnessed the first Irish Cup final to be staged at Dalymount Park asDistillery overcame Bohemians by three goals to one in 1903. Shelbourne become the first Dublin side to win the cup in 1906 when they defeatedBelfast Celtic at Dalymount by two goals to nil.[2]
In 1988, the club nearly sold Dalymount to theFAI due to financial difficulties, but the club survived and held onto the stadium.[15] In 1999, the club unveiled the near 3,000 seater Jodi Stand.[18] In 2003, a deal was agreed to sell the Tramway End to the owner of the Phibsboro Shopping Centre, a property company named Albion.[19]
In 2006 the club's members twice voted to sell Dalymount Park; first to Andorey Developments in May and then again in September, this time to property developerLiam Carroll. Both offers included the development of a new 10,000-capacity stadium elsewhere in Dublin.[18][20] The Carroll deal was worth a reported €65,000,000 although then board members refused to allow members to see the details of the deal.[citation needed] This deal included the development of a new 10,000-seater stadium in Harristown nearDublin Airport.[20] However, Albion objected to the sale based on their claim to ownership of the Tramway End.[21] Bohemians maintained that the 2003 purchase had not been finalised but, on 7 November 2008, the club lost a court case against Albion Properties Ltd over legal ownership of the stand.[22] it was discovered that the board, led by Gerry Cuffe and Gerry Conway, had attempted to re-sell part of the ground which the club no longer owned, which has had the effect of putting the move on hold long enough for the property market to collapse and the deal to be all but dead.[23][19]
In March 2015, the local authorityDublin City Council (DCC) agreed to purchase Dalymount Park.[24][25] The city council completed the purchase in June 2015 for €3.8 million.[26][27] In February 2016, DCC publishedplans to demolish and rebuild Dalymount on a phased basis at a cost of €20 million.[28] In October 2022, the city council published its updated redevelopment plans, with a proposed capacity of 7,880 and a completion date of 2026.[29][30] It is likely that Bohemians would need to play elsewhere during redevelopment.[31]
In 2023, the club unveiled a new terrace stand at the club, named the "Mono Stand" in tribute to Derek "Mono" Monaghan, a long-time supporter and volunteer at the club who died in 2022.[32]
Although they did not make their first appearance in European competition until 1970, they have, like all Irish clubs, found the going tough in Europe, but they have had some famous successes too. Their finest hour came when they eliminatedScottish Premier League club (and formerCup Winners' Cup andEuropean Super Cup champions)Aberdeen from theUEFA Cup in August 2000. That triumph was set up by a dramatic 2–1 victory away from home, in which Bohs scored 2 late goals to overturn a 1–0 deficit.[33] That was the first time an Irish club defeated British opposition away from home in European competition. Other notable results include wins againstRangers andKaiserslautern (away) and draws againstRangers,Newcastle United,Sporting CP,Dundee United (away) andAberdeen. In all, they have beaten a total of 11 different teams, from 9 countries (Denmark,Cyprus,Scotland,Germany,Estonia,Belarus,Belgium,Wales andLatvia). Bohs bowed out of the 2008Intertoto Cup on away goals to Latvian sideFK Riga despite winning the second leg 2–1. Earlier in that campaign they recorded their biggest single leg (5–1) and aggregate (9–3) wins in Europe (againstWelsh Premier League clubRhyl).
Bohemians started their2009–10 UEFA Champions League campaign away toAustrian Bundesliga championsRed Bull Salzburg on 16 July 2009 with a 1–1 draw inSalzburg.[34]In the second leg on 22 July 2009, Bohemians held out until an 87th-minute goal byPatrik Ježek for Red Bull Salzburg gave them a one-nil victory on the night and two one win on aggregate.[35]After retaining the league title in 2009, Bohs entered the Champions League again in2010–11. They were drawn againstWelsh sideThe New Saints in the Second Qualifying Round, and won the first leg 1–0 atDalymount Park on 13 July 2010.[36] They lost the second leg 4–0 and were eliminated 4–1 on aggregate.[37] Bohs managerPat Fenlon later labelled the performance as 'disgraceful' and said 'the players let the club, league and country down'.[38] The result was labelled by others as the worst result in Bohs' 40-year European history.[39]
After a nearly a decade away from continental competition, Bohs faced Hungarian opposition in the form ofFehérvár in the2020-2021 UEFA Europa League qualifiers. The gypsies narrowly missed out by virtue of a penalty shoot-out loss, decided after a solitary one-legged affair was played, due to theCoronavirus pandemic. Bohs entered the inauguralEuropa Conference League the year after and consecutively sold out their home matches at Dublin'sAviva Stadium in matches withStjarnan FC andF91 Dudelange, both home legs ending with famous 3-0 victories.
"Bohs" 2021 European campaign came to end in Thessalonika after defeat to PAOK, when they lost the 3–2 on aggregate, following a heroic win in the first leg at the Aviva Stadium on 3 August, when Scottish winger Ali Coote scored a brace in what has to rank as one of the best ever wins by an Irish team in Europe.[40] The Greek side had just signed ex Dortmund and Manchester United star Shinji Kagawa and had a budget of circa €75M compared to the Bohemian's estimated €750,000.[41] On 12 August the Irish team bowed out of the Europa Conference League Qualification[42] campaign after their fans were denied access to the stadium amid protests from the home fans about Covid restrictions, following a 2–0 defeat on the night in a tense Thessalonika atmosphere.
| Competition | P | W | D | L | GF | GA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| European Cup / UEFA Champions League | 18 | 4 | 4 | 10 | 13 | 29 |
| UEFA Cup / UEFA Europa League | 31 | 3 | 10 | 18 | 17 | 57 |
| UEFA Europa Conference League | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 10 | 4 |
| European Cup Winners' Cup | 8 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 13 |
| UEFA Intertoto Cup | 10 | 4 | 0 | 6 | 15 | 20 |
| TOTAL | 73 | 17 | 17 | 39 | 61 | 123 |
Since the 2010s, Bohemians have adopted aleft-wing political identity, integrating this into their branding, public messaging, and community work. Under the leadership of Chief Operating Officer Daniel Lambert, the club has associated itself with causes such asPalestinian nationalism andanti-racism as well as LGBT, refugee and homelessness advocacy.[43][44][45][46] These themes have appeared on club merchandise and in formal partnerships with organisations includingFocus Ireland andAmnesty International. The club’s stated aim has been to position itself as a community-oriented institution with values that reflect broader social concerns.[43][47]
This approach draws direct inspiration fromFC St Pauli in Germany, a club known for its left-wing political stance andanti-fascist identity.[43] Bohemians has incorporated similar elements into its culture, including symbolic imagery and public statements that reflect socialist or anti-establishment viewpoints. The club offices in Phibsborough contain political items such as a statue ofLenin and leftist literature, reinforcing the ideological branding.[43][48]
The club’s political stance has attracted both support and criticism. Supporters of the approach argue it strengthens community ties and offers a distinct identity in Irish football. Critics such as former managerRoddy Collins have stated they feel that Bohemians has become more focused on politics than on-the-pitch success,[49] while Daniel Lambert has acknowledged that some other clubs view Bohemians as being reliant on "gimmicks" and being a "Hipster club" to attract support.[47]
"Hold Me Now" byJohnny Logan is considered an anthem by the club and is played during the team's home games at Dalymount;[50][51][52] Logan himself is a supporter of the club.[52]
Bohs' fan base is mainly drawn from thenorthside of Dublin and their supporters share a bitter rivalry with Southside club,Shamrock Rovers. However, the club has many fans from other parts of the city, across Ireland and worldwide. The club shares arivalry with their Northside neighboursShelbourne largely because of geographical proximity as both clubs are now located roughly just 1 mile apart, and also because they featured prominently in the early days of Dublin football, when nationwide football was still based aroundBelfast. Shelbourne and Bohs were often featured in the Belfast-centeredIrish Football League before partition and the rivalry was kept on-off after they formed the new Irish Free State league with six other clubs.
During 2006, a number of Bohemians fans formed anultra group in an effort to create a more interesting atmosphere at home games. Named The Notorious Boo-Boys, the group bought flags and organiseddisplays during games to lift the atmosphere of the home of Irish footballDalymount Park.[53] The fans have friendly contacts with Prague clubBohemians 1905, Welsh clubWrexham AFC,[54] Swedish clubMalmö FF as well as English non-league and fellow supporter owned clubFC United of Manchester.
The club boasts some well known supporters such as Johnny Logan,[55][56]Samuel L. Jackson,[57]Aslan'sChristy Dignam,[citation needed] alternative bandRoyseven,[58] post-punk bandFontaines D.C., as well as musiciansBrush Shiels,[59]Rob Smith[60] and novelistIrvine Welsh.[61] The club also has a working relationship with Hibernian FC of Edinburgh.
Since the 2010s, Bohemians have regularly released jerseys that combine distinctive designs with cultural, social, and charitable collaborations, significantly boosting the club’s revenue. In 2021, the club released a limited edition jersey in collaboration with Fontaines DC, with a portion of profits donated to charity. In 2022, aBob Marley-themed shirt was issued to support asylum centres, later officially sanctioned by Marley’s estate. In 2023, a second Fontaines DC shirt was released, raising funds for Medical Aid for Palestinians. In April 2024, Bohemians unveiled a jersey in partnership with theIrish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU) to promote the "Better in a trade union" campaign.[62] In 2025, the club continued this strategy with multiple releases: a Dublin Bus-themed jersey for the FAI Cup, a collaboration with Dublin-born DJAnnie Mac, and a 2025 FAI Cup shirt in partnership withOasis.[63] The Oasis shirt was promoted with a video featuringPaul Weller andWWE starSami Zayn, generating international attention.[63] Proceeds from the jerseys were split between the club and charities, including Music Generation Ireland and Irish Community Care Manchester.[64] These initiatives helped Bohemians increase merchandise revenue from around €100,000 in the mid-2010s to over €2 million by 2025, with sales reaching an international audience across more than 50 countries.[48][65] Between 2014 and 2022, Bohemians increased their jersey sales 3,300%.[66]
In December 2025, political activistGreta Thunberg spoke at a Bohemians event in Dublin in support of Gaza, alongside Dr Mohammed Abu Mughessib ofMédecins Sans Frontières and activistCaoimhe Butterly. Thunberg had previously worn a Bohemians x Fontaines DC jersey, the profits of which raise funds forMedical Aid for Palestinians. At the event, the club also launched a collaborative jersey with pro-Palestinian rap groupKneecap, managed by COO Dan Lambert, with proceeds supporting a West Bank refugee camp. All event proceeds went to Grassroots Winter Aid for Gaza families.[67]
Bohemian FC has faced criticism over merchandise releases that some observers have deemed politically or culturally insensitive. In March 2023, Bohemian FC used a photo ofJeremy Corbyn wearing a Palestine-themed away jersey in promotional material; former MinisterAlan Shatter criticised this and noted that Corbyn had been recently suspended from the UK Labour Party following a report on anti-Semitism.[68][69] In December 2025, the club released a t-shirt incorporating theIrish republican slogan "Tiocfaidh ár lá" as part of its streetwear line, with the phrase printed on the back and the club name on the front. MEPAodhán Ó Ríordáin questioned the club’s use of the slogan and stated that it wouldn't be acceptable if a club in Northern Ireland used Loyalist slogans like "No Surrender", so the use of "Tiocfaidh ár lá" shouldn't be accepted either.[70][71]
As of 2026, sales of Bohemians jerseys far outstrip those of other League of Ireland clubs and generate the club a major source of revenue not easily accessible to their competitors.[48][65]
On 27 November 2018, Bohemians were accepted to theUnder-17 Women's National League beginning with the 2019 season. The aim was to grow the number of women in the club and eventually compete in theWomen's National League.[72] The historic first game in theUnder-17 Women's National League for Bohemians was played on 13 April 2019 againstCork City and ended in 0–2 defeat.
Just one year after being accepted to compete in theUnder-17 Women's National League, Bohemians was accepted to theWomen's National League on 18 February 2020.[73] The first match was originally scheduled for 15 March 2020, however, the team was made to wait until 8 August 2020 due to theCOVID-19 pandemic in the Republic of Ireland which delayed the start of the season. The game ended in a 4–1 defeat toWexford Youths. Chloe Darby scored the consolation goal and wrote herself into the history books as Bohemians' first-ever female goalscorer.[74]
Bohemians compete in theLeague of Ireland National Underage Leagues at all available age groups. Theiracademy section consists of six teams: Men'sUnder-20,Under-17, Under-15 and Under-14 for boys, Women's Under-19 and theUnder-17 age group for girls.[75]
Beyond their national underage teams, Bohemians have over 500 boys and girls playing across 25 teams competing in the Dublin and District Schoolboys'/Girls' League (DDSL), the North Dublin Schoolboys/Girls League (NDSL) and the Metropolitan Girls League (MGL).[76]
| Position | Staff |
|---|---|
| Head of Academy |  Trevor Croly |
| MU20 Head Coach | Trevor Croly |
| WU19 Head Coach | Gavin Hughes |
| MU17 Coach | Daryl Farrelly |
| MU17 Coach | Derek Kavanagh |
| WU17 Coach | Ger Rowe |
| WU17 Coach | Aodhan Kennedy |
| MU15 Head Coach | Paul Donnelly |
| MU14 Head Coach | Ray Scully |
| Academy Development Coach | Gary Deegan[77] |
| Academy GK Coach | Chris Bennion |
Source:[75]
Bohemian Futsal compete in the AUL Futsal Premier Division, the winners of which compete in the UEFA Futsal Champions League preliminary rounds. Bohs also have a 'B' team that compete in the AUL Futsal Division One. They are the only League of Ireland club with a futsal club.
In 2021,Dublin City University and Bohemians agreed an 18-year multi-faceted partnership involving football, social inclusion, social outreach and academic programme collaboration. As part of the arrangement,DCU Sports Campus became Bohemians' training base and Bohemians committed to invest around €1.5 million into the facility. The training complex has four full-sized grass pitches, one all-weather artificial turf pitch and a high performance gym. Future development plans include a second artificial turf pitch, club offices for academy and team staff, player meeting rooms, a physio room and a kit room.[78][79][80]
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined underFIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Note: Flags indicate national team as defined underFIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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| Dates | Name |
|---|---|
| 2012–2013 | Owen Heary |
| 2014 | Dave Mulcahy |
| 2015–2019 | Derek Pender |
| 2020–2021 | Keith Buckley |
| 2022 | Conor Levingston |
| 2023–2025 | Keith Buckley |
Bohemian's Player of the Year award is voted for by the club's supporters at the end of every season.
| Position | Staff |
|---|---|
| Manager | Alan Reynolds |
| Assistant Coach | |
| Coach | Derek Pender |
| Academy Manager | Trevor Croly |
| Goalkeeping Coach | Sean Fogarty |
| Strength & Conditioning Coach | Stephen Lawlor |
| Head Physio | Danny Miller |
| Equipment and Logistics Manager | Colin "Colly" O'Connor |
| Kitman | Aaron Fitzsimons |
.jpg)
1980s
| 1990s
| 2000s
| 2010s
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2020s
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Seán Thomas (1964–67)Pat Murphy (May 1967 – April 68)Seán Thomas (1968–73)Billy Young (1973–89)Padraig O'Connor (1989–90)Eamonn Gregg (1990–93)Turlough O'Connor (1993–98)Joe McGrath (1998)Roddy Collins (1998–01)Pete Mahon (2001)Stephen Kenny (2001–04)Gareth Farrelly (2004–06)
Sean Connor (17 Nov 2006 – 19 Dec 2007)Pat Fenlon (22 Dec 2007 – 25 Nov 2011)Aaron Callaghan (1 Jan 2012 – 15 July 2013)Owen Heary(interim) (16 July 2013 – Sept 12, 2013)Bobby Browne (Sep 2013 – Nov 2013)Owen Heary (Jan 2014 – Nov 2014)Keith Long (Nov 2014 – Aug 2022)Derek Pender(interim) (Aug 2022 – Oct 2022)Declan Devine (Oct 2022 – March 2024)Derek Pender(interim) (March 2024)Alan Reynolds (March 2024 – present)
{{cite news}}:|archive-url= is malformed: timestamp (help)CS1 maint: url-status (link)| International | |
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