Featured image credit: Diego Alves on Unsplash
The League of Ireland set a new attendance record on Sunday as 33,208 fans watched Bohemian FC defeat Shamrock Rovers 1-0 at Dublin’s Aviva Stadium.
The derby match served as a home fixture for Bohemians after an agreement between both clubs and the Football Association of Ireland (FAI).
The move to the 51,000-capacity Aviva Stadium was designed to take advantage of growing interest in the league. Sunday’s derby marked the opening match of the 2025 season for the two clubs.
Strong attendances were also posted elsewhere in the league, as 4,780 fans watched Shelbourne’s 3-1 win over Derry City, 5,031 attended Cork City vs Galway United, and 5,034 watched St Patrick’s Athletic vs Drogheda United.
The 33,208 attendance at Aviva Stadium surpassed the previous league record of 30,000, which was posted in 1946 when Drumcondra took on Cork City at Dalymount Park – the current home of Bohemians.
Aviva Stadium also hosts the FAI Cup final, which regularly attracts crowds of around 35,000 to 40,000.
Last February, Bohemians was granted planning approval to redevelop Dalymount Park, with the capacity of the stadium having dropped significantly over the years to just over 4,000.
The project will include new stands to the east and west side of the stadium with provision for around 6,240 seats and two new terraces to the north and south with provision for around 1,794 standing capacity, bringing the total capacity of the stadium to 8,034.
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