Casement Park watch.

dxhound2005

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121846185#Comment_121846185

As another aside, you appear to be living in Great Britain, probably in England? People sometime say UK when they mean GB. Including journalists. I heard one of them reporting that the Prime Minister would be visiting Belfast, and returning to the UK the next morning. Another part of the UK which may have some influence on the future of NI is Scotland. Have your friends in GB got a view on that nation leaving the UK?

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121845686#Comment_121845686

I honestly think the GAA's heart isn't in this and they are just waiting for the plug to be pulled. Once Jarleth Burns said last week that it was "unfair" for the organisation to be expected to stump up more than the £15 million they initially promised, that was a pretty big red flag for me.

PeggyShippen

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121846335#Comment_121846335

Yes I live in Great Britain . Thats also the UK so saying I live in the UK is correct also. Like people in Scotland ,England and Northern Ireland can say they live in the UK.

My friends and I would like Scotland to remain in the UK. I think that's fairly secure at the moment after the SNP implosion and the controversy that resulted in Sturgeon resigning. Northern Ireland is fairly secure in the Union aswell by the looks of it but things up there are really improving politically. I'd like to see Casement being built but like a poster pointed out, it's in a very Republican area and it's not really a GAA city to top it all off. Might be better for everyone if a smaller stadium does get built and the GAA do up Clones .

Fr Tod Umptious

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121845686#Comment_121845686

Tje big problem is the make-up of the Euro bid.

Had the UK not invited the ROI to join then there would have been no need to invite NI to join.

They could not politically have had a bid that excluded one part of the UK while including another country.

Had the bid been kept to England, Wales and Scotland then Casement would get built to a decent sized GAA standard for Ulster finals, neutral venue games etc.

Instead it's a white elephant that's going to have to be built to UEFA standards or not at all.

PeggyShippen

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121847139#Comment_121847139

Well equally you couldn't have Scotland ,England and Wales and leave one of the UK nations ie.Northern Ireland out.

event

Why do people say the Tory govt wont pay for the stadium? Sure whats it go to do with them? By all accounts and predictions they wont be in the next government so will be up to Labour to decide

threeball

Take the €15million, try to get another €5 of the government, maybe €5 of the assembly and build a nice 7.5k capacity stadium to a really good standard with a Croke Park level pitch then move on. All this boll0x talk of euros and 34k stadiums for a geographical area with limited use for neutral games and 2 low attendance teams is absolute guff of the highest order. Just highlights everything wrong with this country.

Piece in the Irish Times this morning saying that the UK government "will not discuss" funding until it knows the final cost. NIO spokesperson saying there are "wider public sector funding challenges".

https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/2024/03/02/uk-government-will-not-discuss-casement-park-funding-until-it-knows-final-cost/

boetstark

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121846231#Comment_121846231

I really wonder what type of an individual you are when you are away from your keyboard.

You have a nasty habit of accusing people of talking bulls#it or telling lies, which you have been called out on at least once.

You need to reign in that attitude a bit as you most definitely are not as much of an expert as you think you are.

Typical keyboard warrior

Fr Tod Umptious

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121847445#Comment_121847445

You absolutely could.

The obvious reason being that there isn't a stadium suitable enough in NI.

But once the republic were invited it became political.

funkey_monkey

If the majority of NI supporters don't want casement getting the money and won't set foot in the place then they can go to the 'mainland' to watch the game and funding can be given for a more suitable stadium at a reduced spec.

keeponhurling

Probably England alone couldn't have won this bid seeing as they hosted the semifinals and final of Euro 2020 (played in 2021 due to COVID).

So they included new venues such as Ireland, Wales and N.Ireland giving it the impression of being different to 2020, spreading the game etc..

Now that they have been awarded the event, they don't need Casement Park, hence they aren't too bothered about funding it. If it's not ready by 2028 then so be it, plenty more stadiums around the UK.

FrancieBrady

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121847445#Comment_121847445

Yeh, you easily could. These were the venues chosen for soccer at the Olympic Games 2012

Hampden Park, Glasgow

Millennium Stadium, Cardiff

Old Trafford, Manchester

City of Coventry Stadium, Coventry

St James' Park, Newcastle

Wembley Stadium, London

funkey_monkey

It would be a nice one in the eye to the NI politicians if they missed out due to all their squabbling.

It should have been a stadium for all at the Maze but squabbling over H-blocks will mean that there will be 3 stadiums that are completely useless beyond their current remit.

A wasted opportunity. Instead of a single shared space we continue with segregation.

FrancieBrady

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121847562#Comment_121847562

If you look at it though, the 'squabbling' emanates from one quarter. Everyone was in favour of the Maze but..........

Everyone but that quarter is for Casement and the obvious benefits for all.

funkey_monkey

Geographically, symbolically the Maze was the best location. Everyone was on board until SF talked the UK gov into creating a museum on site.

The DUP were scared that this would end up being a shrine to republicanism there.

The plug was pulled and here we are. Gregory Campbell I think was the minister.

A centre about the conflict would be a huge money spinner if don't right. However, NI politicians have proven time and time again incapable of doing so. They might be a bit more mellow now than back in 08, but the chance is now gone.

FrancieBrady

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121847832#Comment_121847832

 Everyone was on board until SF talked the UK gov into creating a museum on site.

This isn't what happened.

A 'Centre For Conflict Transformation' was proposed for the site from the get-go when Edwin Poots was in favour of the project. His party where divided on it though.

Martin McGuinness and Peter Robinson actually agreed on plans for that 'centre' and it was the objections of the Orange Order that turned the tide and it was Sports Minister Gregory Campbell who ruled out the project in favour of separate stadiums for Rugby, Soccer and Gaelic games.

funkey_monkey

Okay. I was typing from memory so yeah there a bit more to it.

oisinog

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121846674#Comment_121846674

I think you are misunderstanding how much of a GAA city Belfast is, there are clubs in all sections of the City including loyalist East Belfast. There are 28 GAA clubs at senior level in Belfast alone (possibly more). The nationwide Lads and Dads hurling program was started in Belfast. So you cant say that Belfast is not a GAA city. The GAA has probably the highest playing numbers of any Sport in Belfast.

No one is discussing the economic impact this stadium could have in Belfast, We don't have a venue big enough to attract big concerts, finals of major European football tournaments. Casement park will allow that really the cost is going to come back into the economy, local workers getting paid. Local companies providing the building materials.

There are thousands of children who have never had the opportunity to set foot inside Casement never mind play on the ground for their schools or clubs.

If this was Windsor Park there would be no complaints from the Unionist parties or the people who vote for them. There is one reason for the outrage and that is pure sectarianism.

PeggyShippen

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121848330#Comment_121848330

Ah come on now. The costs are through the roof. There's plenty of criticism of the project on here from people besides me and I'd be fairly certain they arent sectarian.

28 senior clubs. I have to tell you that I didn't know that and Iv lived on the Ravenhill road for a few years. That's healthy but I'd be fairly certain association football would be the biggest sport in Belfast.

celt262

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121848330#Comment_121848330

The kids may still not get to play in it . It isn't Antrim ground anymore and its hard to know what the Ulster Council will allow be played in it at this stage.

oisinog

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121848628#Comment_121848628

I hear the conversations that are going on about Casement. You only have to listen to the radio in the mornings or afternoons to hear what people are talking about. If Windsor was being redeveloped there would be no issue over the costs. People from the PLU communities are complaining because its £200+ m going to West Belfast not taking into consideration that people coming to the matches will be using public transport, drinking in local bars eating in local areas.

Gaelic Football has a higher participation rate that Soccer particularly among Women. When you add in Hurling and Camogie as well as handball into that the numbers are massive.

Regardless of what people think the Club my girls are a member of have people from all sides of the community.

East Belfast have over 500 members, the first LGBT team is set up in Belfast that's 2 new clubs in the last 5 years which is evidence that the sports are growing which is positive for the city

oisinog

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121848767#Comment_121848767

My understanding is that it will still be Antrim's home ground, there will still be chances for local schools to play at half time in big games which will still be massive for local clubs/schools

celt262

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121848896#Comment_121848896

There are no agreements in place between Antrim GAA and the Ulster Council it's likely their league games will remain in Corrigan Park. It's important that they do get plenty of use of it if it is built, they should be playing lots of Club Championship games in it and schools and club finals but we don't know what road the Ulster Council will go down with it yet.

oisinog

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121848954#Comment_121848954

Thats a pity I was reading to much into Antrim's press releases

threeball

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121848330#Comment_121848330

It's not the GAAs responsibility to provide a stadium for soccer finals, concerts or any other rubbish that people want to trot out in order to justify a white elephant. Upkeep on a massively oversized, massively overspec'd stadium will be a millstone round the neck of the association for decades. When was the last time there was 10k at an Antrim game never mind 34k. Its fantasy land stuff. You need 7.5k tops and a nice place for supporters to attend a game which can generate an atmosphere. It wouldn't even be economical to open the stadium for the vast majority of antrims games.

dxhound2005

I was at the last ever game played in the old stadium in 2013. I saw the attendance listed elsewhere as 7,712.

https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/gaelic-games/gaelic-football/casement-park-deserved-a-better-way-to-say-goodbye-1.1422469

downcow

I am interested, what the rules will be around the GAA and this pitch if the government were to give £200m+. Surely there should be a requirement that the GAA be open to everyone and that the stadium has no symbols that some in the community would find offensive

Charles Babbage

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121850205#Comment_121850205

Why pander to sectarianism?

FrancieBrady

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121850205#Comment_121850205

No Irish on the manhole covers or on any signage?

That kinda of 'offensive'?