Shelbourne set to stay in Tolka Park as DCC opt against rezone of land

The campaign to save the League of Ireland stadium Tolka Park has received its most significant boost yet with Dublin City recommending abandoning plans to rezone the ground for residential use.

In 2016, Shelbourne ceded its interest in Tolka Park to the council as part of an agreement to relocate to a redeveloped Dalymount Park as co-anchor tenants with Bohemians - a move which has been met with opposition by campaigners who wish to keep 'public land for public use' and turn the stadium into a shared communal institution that would include a gym, crèche, café, enterprise centre, and public toilets.

However, Shelbourne officials entered dialogue with DCC earlier this year after the club's owners opted to change the course on the Dalymount plan and instead stay in their long-time home.

At the time, the council said they would examine the plans and were open to supporting it as long as there was "a cost recovery model for expenditure incurred by the City Council and a firm commitment from Shelbourne FC that Tolka Park can be re-developed in a reasonable period and that adequate finance is in place".

Dublin City Council CEO Owen Keegan has now recommended supporting maintaining the use of Tolka Park for the purpose of sport.

The vision was set out in a council document looking at the next six years in relation to facilities.

Keegan states: "Dublin City Council acquired both Tolka Park and Dalymount Park in order to ensure that both clubs, which were struggling post-recession, could be retained in the city.

"The intention was to develop one municipal stadium capable of accommodating both football clubs. Given the strong heritage, including international matches associated with Dalymount, both clubs and DCC agreed that the new