The road is clear for Shamrock Rovers to move into the Tallaght Stadium after the High Court rejected Thomas Davis GAA club's application for leave to appeal to the Supreme Court.

Shamrock Rovers are earmarked as anchor tenants for the venue and last month the High Court ruled South Dublin County Council should be allowed complete the stadium without providing for Gaelic games.

Thomas Davis had originally sought orders quashing the council's decision of February 13th, 2006 that the 6,000-seat stadium at Whitestown Way should be confined to soccer.

The High Court said today there were no legal grounds to justify an appeal to the Supreme Court.

That decision finally puts to bed a remarkable sequence of setbacks for the project.  Funding and planning issues have been to the fore for almost a decade.

But after two years of legal challenges, the League of Ireland Premier Division club can now plan their  move to the ground for the start of the 2009 season.

Rovers officials will meet their SDCC counterparts in the coming weeks to discuss the next steps but it is likely construction on the half-built stadium will recommence late next month or early March.

In a statement released today, Shamrock Rovers chairman Jonathan Roche said the club was "delighted" to see the matter resolved.

"It's a relief for us all that we can say Rovers are finally going to have a home," he said.

"I want to thank everyone who supported us along the way, from the South Dublin County Council to the various politicians and the FAI and of course our great fans.

"We'll be seeking a meeting with the SDCC as soon as possible to get the builders back at the stadium and look forward to seeing the hard hats and bulldozers on site."

Thomas Davis have confirmed they will discontinue their legal challenge.  Club officials said it was not their intention to hold up completion of the stadium.

The club said its reasons for taking the legal route were to ensure "transparency, fairness and parity of treatment with regard to the investment of taxpayers money in sports facilities in Tallaght."

"We look forward to the stadium being completed as an important amenity for the people of Tallaght," read a statement signed by Thomas Davis chairman Christopher O'Donnell and John Costello, secretary of the Dublin GAA Board.

"We earnestly hope that this will leave the way clear for Shamrock Rovers to move into the Stadium before the end of this year."

Rovers have not had a permanent ground since moving from Milltown in 1987.