What parts of the city do Dublin clubs draw their fans from?

Shamrock Rovers - how many of the 3,000 or so they get each week do you think are newish fans from Tallaght, and how many are older fans (or their kids) from the pre-homeless period ?

what parts of Dublin had the most Rovers fans before they left Milltown / RDS ?

Bohemians - how many from the area close to Dalymount and how many from the wider northside ? any other areas in the northside in particular have decent numbers of fans ?

St Pats might be the most geographically limted club or am I wrong ? Do many of their fans come further afield ?

Shelbourne - are they really a northside club drawing most of their fans from areas near Tolka ? or do they have a mix with some soutsiders ?

UCD - do they have a proper fanbase from the are around Belfield or are most of the supporters people who have been connected to the club in some way ?

Fingal - might be a little early for them but are there any specific areas where it appears they are starting to draw support ?

Bray - mostly Bray or many from Shankill or further away (Wicklow or south Dublin) ?

did Dublin City have any type of support (even 100-200 fans ) ?

any opinions / anecdotal evidence welcome !

Bohs: north inner city, Phibsborough, Blanchardstown, Castleknock, Glasnevin, Finglas, Cabra, Ballymun, Beaumont and Artane mostly. A few other small pockets around north and north-west dublin. Not too many from north east.

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Originally Posted by SkStu

Bohs: north inner city, Phibsborough, Blanchardstown, Castleknock, Glasnevin, Finglas, Cabra, Ballymun, Beaumont and Artane mostly. A few other small pockets around north and north-west dublin. Not too many from north east.

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if you had to guess, what percentage would you say come from the area within walking distance of Dalymount (inner city, Phibsborough, Cabra) and what percentage from the rest of the northside ?

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Originally Posted by SkStu

Bohs: north inner city, Phibsborough, Blanchardstown, Castleknock, Glasnevin, Finglas, Cabra, Ballymun, Beaumont and Artane mostly. A few other small pockets around north and north-west dublin. Not too many from north east.

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And there's at least one fan in Tallaght who dares to wear the Bohs shirt..

Bohs as SkStu

Rovers, the vast majority of the southside, Rathfarnham/Milltown/Dundrum/Ballinteer/Dun Laoghaire/Tallaght. Very few in the north-west, but the Northside Supporters Club does fine..

thats a hard thing to estimate accurately but there are big representations from Finglas, Blanchardstown, Ballymun, Glasnevin and Beaumont/Artane. At a guess id say 30-40% of the attendees come from the areas you listed. Possibly more.

Actually, quite a few of our fans now also live further out in parts of Meath and Louth.

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Originally Posted by dfx-

And there's at least one fan in Tallaght who dares to wear the Bohs shirt..

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his brothers a hoop!

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Originally Posted by dfx-

And there's at least one fan in Tallaght who dares to wear the Bohs shirt..

Bohs as SkStu

Rovers, the vast majority of the southside, Rathfarnham/Milltown/Dundrum/Ballinteer/Dun Laoghaire/Tallaght. Very few in the north-west, but the Northside Supporters Club does fine..

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and the Tallaght / southside divide ? how would you break it up ? still mostly fans from the traditional strongholds ?

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Originally Posted by SkStu

Actually, quite a few of our fans now also live further out in parts of Meath and Louth.

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wouldn't they just be people originally from the northside (or whose parents supported Bohs) ?

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Originally Posted by SkStu

his brothers a hoop!

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And so he should be! Redress the imbalance :)

The Tallaght/southside divide is harder to call. It might not be far off 50/50 of a full attendance

I'm a Pats supporter but I live on the northside... Bohs, Fingal and Shels are all much closer than Pats but family ties lie in Inchicore so Pats will always be my club

I'd say Rovers probably have the entire southside and large parts of the west to themselves. Unfortunately those are the parts of the city with the most diehard Liverpool and Manchester United fans.

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Originally Posted by Charlie Darwin

those are the parts of the city with the most diehard Liverpool and Manchester United fans.

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why do you say that ?

I live near Ballybrack (not far from Dun Laoghaire) on the southside and the support for Liverpool in working class areas is very visible, if you pass through a council estate you will nearly always see kids in Liverpool shirts (Liverpool much more than Man Utd - in fact more than all the English other clubs combined)

always assumed it was like that everywhere, maybe not ?

see the odd Rovers shirt, and have seen some Rovers graffiti, never seen any other Irish shirts locally

Because I live there, for one. But mainly because Rovers is the only team we've ever really had down here (besides UCD) and they've been AWOL for 20 years.

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Originally Posted by Tony Soprano

Bohemians - how many from the area close to Dalymount and how many from the wider northside ? any other areas in the northside in particular have decent numbers of fans ?

Shelbourne - are they really a northside club drawing most of their fans from areas near Tolka ? or do they have a mix with some soutsiders ?

UCD - do they have a proper fanbase from the are around Belfield or are most of the supporters people who have been connected to the club in some way ?

Fingal - might be a little early for them but are there any specific areas where it appears they are starting to draw support ?

any opinions / anecdotal evidence welcome !

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Ok well as a fingal fan first and foremost i can say the singing fans are almost all from swords (rivervalley), late teens early twenties with younger ones coming up the ranks....They mostly attract north county Dublin, north of swords. I live in santry so morton is my back garden., they have connections out in blanch too i think. Lep could maybe answer in more detail.

Before fingal came along i wudve been a mildish bohs fan (thence my detour to salzburg last year), cos i went to school in cabra alot of the lads went on about them (played underage teams) etc...

I always associate shels with southside, but the only fans i know are northsiders. They probly get an alright crowd from drumcondra anyways.

UCD dont get as much students as you would think unfortunately....

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Originally Posted by sparky12345678

Ok well as a fingal fan first and foremost i can say the singing fans are almost all from swords (rivervalley), late teens early twenties with younger ones coming up the ranks....They mostly attract north county Dublin, north of swords. I live in santry so morton is my back garden., they have connections out in blanch too i think. Lep could maybe answer in more detail.

I always associate shels with southside, but the only fans i know are northsiders. They probly get an alright crowd from drumcondra anyways.

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how many fans do you think you have now ? I'm talking about people not connected to the club (or friends or family of people connected to the club) and who go to most games

200 ? 500 ?

do you think the club is mostly concentrating on the north east of the county to drum up support ? (Lusk, Skerries, Swords)

Surprised they are targeting Blanch too, it is in Fingal but is Bohs country

Shelbourne were based in Ringsend club until the 1950s -I wonder how many of their fans are still from Ringsend area (or had parents who were)

Most Bray supporters seem to be from the town, they thin out fairly quickly as you move away from the Carlisle (although I still get people asking me the score in the game all the way to my front door just short of Shankill village).

The club needs to target catchment areas along the DART line to Dalkey and beyond, and into Dublin along the N11. Much easier to get to Bray on public transport than to Tallaght.

Is it? I don't even know what bus I'd take to Bray.

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Originally Posted by peadar1987

Most Bray supporters seem to be from the town, they thin out fairly quickly as you move away from the Carlisle (although I still get people asking me the score in the game all the way to my front door just short of Shankill village).

The club needs to target catchment areas along the DART line to Dalkey and beyond, and into Dublin along the N11. Much easier to get to Bray on public transport than to Tallaght.

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any support from Greystones do you think ?

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Originally Posted by Tony Soprano

wouldn't they just be people originally from the northside (or whose parents supported Bohs) ?

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yeah but you were talking about walking distance from the ground etc so i thought you were looking for distance as opposed to origin. Id say it would be pretty easy just to guess the origin of most of our support. Da Northside!

It seems on the southside, the further east you go the fewer loi fans you see. This is naturally enough seeing as the only clubs are UCD and Bray (at a streeeeeeetch) but also I'd imagine has to do with the affluence of the areas - a lot of people just "wouldn't step foot in a loi ground". It's not that they don't like football but when they manage to take a break from their Manchesters and Liverpools, it's the RDS they head to for their live fix.....to each their own I suppose.

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Originally Posted by Tony Soprano

Shelbourne were based in Ringsend club until the 1950s -I wonder how many of their fans are still from Ringsend area (or had parents who were)

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I lived in Ringsend during the college year just passed and there would be a few Shels fans knocking around alright. When I went to Shels v Town in Tolka a few weeks back I saw plenty of faces at the match that I would have seen around Ringsend.

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Originally Posted by peadar1987

Most Bray supporters seem to be from the town, they thin out fairly quickly as you move away from the Carlisle (although I still get people asking me the score in the game all the way to my front door just short of Shankill village).

The club needs to target catchment areas along the DART line to Dalkey and beyond, and into Dublin along the N11. Much easier to get to Bray on public transport than to Tallaght.

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bray has a fairly big casual(vry casual) supporter base in like around sallynoggin and places like that but problem is hardly anybody bothers goin.

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Originally Posted by Charlie Darwin

Is it? I don't even know what bus I'd take to Bray.

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Depends which part of Ballybrack you're from, but it'd be either walking down to the DART at Killiney, or hopping on the 45A.

(I've just checked the timetable for the 45A, and I'd forgotten how ****e Irish public transport was! Still, if you didn't mind spending half an hour in Bray before kick-off, it'd be fine)

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Originally Posted by irishultra

bray has a fairly big casual(vry casual) supporter base in like around sallynoggin and places like that but problem is hardly anybody bothers goin.

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That's a big problem. The club actually have a huge number of people who consider themselves supporters, but they don't do enough to reach out and connect with them, and get them excited about games. They have to do something to get these people to make the step from checking how Bray did in the Saturday papers, to actually making the trip down on a Friday night. Unfortunately, as I said, Dublin Bus don't make it easy, but I used to cycle to Dun Laoghaire from Shankill fairly regularly. It all can be done!

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Originally Posted by fionnsci

It seems on the southside, the further east you go the fewer loi fans you see. This is naturally enough seeing as the only clubs are UCD and Bray (at a streeeeeeetch) but also I'd imagine has to do with the affluence of the areas - a lot of people just "wouldn't step foot in a loi ground". It's not that they don't like football but when they manage to take a break from their Manchesters and Liverpools, it's the RDS they head to for their live fix.....to each their own I suppose.

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do people think Rovers (from their traditional areas) have a higher proportion of middle class fans than the other clubs or are they also mostly working class ?

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Originally Posted by irishultra

bray has a fairly big casual(vry casual) supporter base in like around sallynoggin and places like that but problem is hardly anybody bothers goin.

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sallynoggin, really ? I thought Shankill maybe but wasn't expecting that far north

From an outsiders perspective I was always under the impression that in the Milltown days Shams fans were alot more middle class than the likes of Bohs and Pats.
Obviously that has changed now with them moving to Tallaght but is there any truth in that very rough generalisation?

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Originally Posted by Rasputin

From an outsiders perspective I was always under the impression that in the Milltown days Shams fans were alot more middle class than the likes of Bohs and Pats.
Obviously that has changed now with them moving to Tallaght but is there any truth in that very rough generalisation?

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i would say from my (limited) knowledge that Pats, Bohs and Shelbourne are almost 100% working class (maybe that's wrong?) and Rovers are at least mixed

i would be interested to know what people think the actual proportion of middle class fans is (ie the proportion of non-Tallaght fans who are middle class)

Rovers have always had a middle class support base but they tended not to bother going to matches. During the later homeless years when we seemed to change ground twice a season it would have been only the hardcore working class fans, but now that we've got a settled stadium there are more families and whatnot going in.

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Originally Posted by Rasputin

From an outsiders perspective I was always under the impression that in the Milltown days Shams fans were alot more middle class than the likes of Bohs and Pats.
Obviously that has changed now with them moving to Tallaght but is there any truth in that very rough generalisation?

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A lot of truth in it I think. In Milltown kids at the games would have been coming from Milltown, Dundrum, Terenure and places like that to watch games. Now these are adults, many of whom still attending from those 'middle-class' areas. Also, since the move to Tallaght there's big support in more middle-class areas like Tempelogue, Terenure, Rathfarnham which are all just down the road. Of course being from Tallaght, and playing all over the city in the last twenty years means we have supporters from all over and from all backgrounds.

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Originally Posted by Tony Soprano

sallynoggin, really ? I thought Shankill maybe but wasn't expecting that far north

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I supported Bray when we lived in Glenageary, and I have a friend in Leopardstown who follows them casually as well. (Also one from Balbriggan, but that's only because I insisted on dragging him all the way across the city for games!!)

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Originally Posted by Tony Soprano

any support from Greystones do you think ?

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Theres a bit yeah, used to be loads of greystoners going to bray games. A lot of them teenagers aswell.

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Originally Posted by Charlie Darwin

I'd say Rovers probably have the entire southside and large parts of the west to themselves. Unfortunately those are the parts of the city with the most diehard Liverpool and Manchester United fans.

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Not true, Pats fans would come from Inchicore, Drimnagh, Crumlin, Ballyfermot,Clondalkin mainly, Upto a few years ao Tallaght would have been considerded a Pats area but obviously not anymore

Tallaght, really? Clondalkin I could believe, but I would have thought Rovers would have a hold on Tallaght going back to the Milltown/RDS days. Before my time, mind.

I wouldn't really consider Inchicore and Drimnagh as southside, even though they're below the river. It's Dublin City council up there, isn't it?

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Originally Posted by Charlie Darwin

Tallaght, really? Clondalkin I could believe, but I would have thought Rovers would have a hold on Tallaght going back to the Milltown/RDS days. Before my time, mind.

I wouldn't really consider Inchicore and Drimnagh as southside, even though they're below the river. It's Dublin City council up there, isn't it?

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It is most certainly is the Southside, yep DCC it is, Alot of Pats fans would be from Tallaght

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Originally Posted by Charlie Darwin

Rovers have always had a middle class support base but they tended not to bother going to matches. During the later homeless years when we seemed to change ground twice a season it would have been only the hardcore working class fans, but now that we've got a settled stadium there are more families and whatnot going in.

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i laughed :-)

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Originally Posted by PartySaint

Not true, Pats fans would come from Inchicore, Drimnagh, Crumlin, Ballyfermot,Clondalkin mainly, Upto a few years ao Tallaght would have been considerded a Pats area but obviously not anymore

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yeah a few tallaght saints around
think someone has a banner at the games

(stands up) I'm upper class and I follow Rovers.:arrogant:
well thats what I say at the weekly anonymous meetings anyway.

I live near Perrystown/Templeogue, and although Rovers do have a few bodies about, there are a few Pats fans as well. Not sure how many 'diehards' can be included in that number, but yeah, in this neck of the woods the support of both clubs tends to cross over - it couldn't be 'claimed' by one or the other. Same in Tallaght/Clondalkin/Lucan, where Pats would have had the majority of floating support in the '90's, but it's a little more 'even' now.

As regards to middle-class fans, I went to a very middle-class school, which boasted supporters of all main Dublin clubs, and this would be in the heart of the 'posh' southside. Not sure if the school's only Shels fan still follows them, but the Pats, Bohs and Rovers contingent are still regulars at games. And this was a very small school, with no real footballing ethos to its name.

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Originally Posted by Tony Soprano

how many fans do you think you have now ? I'm talking about people not connected to the club (or friends or family of people connected to the club) and who go to most games

200 ? 500 ?

do you think the club is mostly concentrating on the north east of the county to drum up support ? (Lusk, Skerries, Swords)

Surprised they are targeting Blanch too, it is in Fingal but is Bohs country

Shelbourne were based in Ringsend club until the 1950s -I wonder how many of their fans are still from Ringsend area (or had parents who were)

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Like the scholarship with DCU they have a connection with Blanch IT i think.i think as well and go around to alot of the local schools in the area, theres a speciall fan club for school kids (freddies fan club or something). The local teams provide the ball boys, as far out as skerries, balbriggan malahide, and half time matches. I know the try and target Blanch but wouldnt hear as much as connections with north county dublin. Well there was 2000 at dalymount, and we all put alot more effort into going obv (the singing section was bigger than it has been in awhile)., kids got infree and so families (great family day out it was!) probably made up a bulk of the attendence., id say 500 at least for good fans not connected to the club (our average is just under 1000)., but i wouldnt know for sure., we def dont get a good large crowd going away in dublin., and because its base is swords and beyond santry isnt exacly walking distance., anywhere outside swords ur relying on the dreaded 33....

lep feel free to disagree

As far as I'm concerned, Bray are Co. Wicklows LOI representative.

Which is why I drive up from Arklow most weeks and take a few with me when I can.

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Originally Posted by saintmaniac

As regards to middle-class fans, I went to a very middle-class school, which boasted supporters of all main Dublin clubs, and this would be in the heart of the 'posh' southside. Not sure if the school's only Shels fan still follows them, but the Pats, Bohs and Rovers contingent are still regulars at games. And this was a very small school, with no real footballing ethos to its name.

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My school was similar (perhaps the same one!), but apart from me, we had exactly one (1) other LOI fan that I knew of. He was a Shels supporter. One of the teachers was a regular at Dalymount though.

Perhaps they were others, they might just not have been that vocal about it. I know I always chatted more about Stoke than about Bray, but that's because people were more likely to know there was a football team in Stoke.

At Uni, there was just me, and the crowds of people who laughed at me for going to watch players they were fully convinced they were better than. There were the usual suspects who supported Liverpool and Manyoo, and a few who thought they were a cut above the rest because their preference for glory hunting was in the continental leagues. We had an Inter Milan "supporter", and one fella who was Barcelona. Needless to say, he was cheering for Spain the entire way through the World Cup.

i go to a rugby playing southside school and support bohs :D

very hard when im forced to choose between watching leinster and bohs!!