Bohs back at the Aviva this time to face Pat's

For the second year running, Bohemians kick off their Premier Division campaign at the Aviva Stadium, with St Pat's Athletic now providing the opposition.

A year ago it was bitter rivals Shamrock Rovers who took on Bohs at Lansdowne Road, with 33,028 souls in attendance. It's unlikely we'll reach that figure this afternoon but let’s up the atmosphere will compensate.

Bohemians have European football to look forward to this summer, while Pat's, after a couple of years of going reasonably far in the Conference League, can only watch on. A 2025 campaign where they failed to fire has put some pressure on boss Stephen Kenny.

A simple case now of must do better for the Inchicore club. That said not many are putting them in the title equation and the same is true for Alan Reynolds' men.

Of course Dalymount Park is set for refurbishment and this is the last season that the faithful will gather at the famous old ground. Much emotion and no shortage of sentimental videos will populate the traditional and the ever-increasing forms of new media when the season draws to a close.

Classic FAI Cup finals; Philip Greene's voice tailing off in describing England's equaliser against Ireland in 1957 and remarking that the silence in the crowd could be heard at Nelson's Pillar; the Don Givens hat-trick against the Russians in 1974; ugly scenes during Bohs' defeat of Rangers in the UEFA Cup in '84 and then a few months later disaster just avoided as the attendance swelled to 40,000 to get a look at the World Cup holders Italy.

We also can't forget Bob Marley, The Boomtown Rats, Thin Lizzy, The Undertones and Status Quo.

Of the two clubs, Bohs have been a bit busier in the recruitment market during the off-season.

The likes of James Talbot, Keith Buckley, Archie Meekison and James Clarke have departed.

Sadou Diallo (below) from Derry City, Patrick Hickey, formerly of Galway United and Darragh Power from Waterford, are amongst the new arrivals that also include loan moves for Paul Walters (FC Cincinatti), Senan Mullen (Torino) and teenager Hugh Martin from UCD.

Diallo's capture gives Bohs an added option in the middle of the park and how he links up with Dawson Devoy will be watched. Hickey, an able score getter under John Caulfield's tutelage, will also look to hit the ground running. The Phibsboro outfit lost six of their ten opening games last season and simply can't afford such lapses in what should be a more cutthroat race in 2026.

As for things by the banks of the Camac, Mason Melia has made the move to Tottenham and winger Jake Mulraney is now a Shamrock Rovers player. Brandon Kavanagh to Drogheda United, Conor Carty to Waterford and Luke Chukwu to Norwich are other outgoings.

In the door comes defender Ronan Boyce (above) from Derry City and midfielder Darragh Nugent from Shamrock Rovers. Attacking options are bolstered by the capture of Ryan Edmondson from Australian side Central Coast Mariners and Max Mata, the former Sligo Rovers player recently winning the Australian A League with Auckland FC. Former academy player Glory Nzingo has returned to the club.

Looking ahead to the game, Alan Reynolds is hoping his Bohemians players can again start the campaign with victory at the D4 venue.

"It's a big year for this club. We have European football to look forward to but we have to put that to the back of our mind as the first challenge we have is to make sure we have a good start to our league campaign," he told bohemians.ie.

"It's a massive Dublin derby and there is pressure on both sides to get off to a good start, so it has all the makings of a really exciting game.

"Regardless of the venue, Dublin derbies are always fantastic occasions but having it at the Aviva obviously adds even more to the occasion. We all know how good a team St Pat’s are, and we had quite a few epic games with them last term.

"Like us, Pat’s are looking to build and like us they try to play good football, so we have teams here who will go out and play and give it a real go, so that should make it a really good spectacle."

Reynolds also whetted our appetite as to what 16-year-old Hugh Martin may produce.

"An exceptionally talented young player" was how the manager described the youngster upon his arrival at the club in December.

Martin's exploits over pre-season only heightening the sense that Bohs might have a recruit primed to make a genuine impact in the division.

"In fairness to (director of football) Pat Fenlon and (head of the academy) Trevor Croly, it's one that they watched and brought him in," Reynolds told RTÉ Sport's Tony O'Donoghue.

"He's come in, he's blown everyone away with how good he's been.

"There's a lot of really good young players in the country at the minute. Obviously, Mason Melia's moved away (from St Pat's to Tottenham) and we won't put as much pressure on Hugh, but he'll play a part this year."

When asked if Martin will play a part on Sunday, Reynolds replied: "I would think so. I don't want to put too much pressure on him. The Bohs fans love young players getting opportunities, so we have to bring players through the academy. He's one that's come in now and is an exciting prospect."

Speaking to RTÉ at the league launch in Whelan's Bar in Dublin, Stephen Kenny believes his new additions can make the side a more solid unit in the months ahead, when saying: "We are a technical team, and have a lot of diminutive, skilful players who can dribble a pass.

"But over the course of last season, in terms of physicality and athleticism, we fell short and were found wanting. We signed Ronan Boyce and Darragh Nugent because they give us a lot of athleticism and Max Mata and Ryan Edmondson offer a focal point in attack.

"We have to be flexible in that we won't always play with one striker, we can play with two. We just don't want one way of playing overall."

Click here to read article