COLD CASE
Ulster GAA urge Stormont and Westminster to get moving with Casement Park renovations as EURO 2028 deadlines near
GAA President Jarlath Burns has shared their concerns
ULSTER GAA have put pressure on the UK and Northern Ireland governments to refocus on Casement Park's stagnating development plan.
The Belfast ground is one of the ten planned venues that is hoped will hold games when the UK & Ireland host EURO 2028.
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The Irish Government has allocated €50million to the development of the new home for Antrim GAA, where clearance work began in February. Croke Park has also committed €17.5million.
Ahead of a general election in the UK on July 4 the Conservative administration has not confirmed how much funding it is willing to provide.
GAA President Jarlath Burns admitted: “It’s not looking as if we’re going to get the Euros.
“We’re working away, we’re clearing the site and that, but at the end of the day, it’s Uefa — their timelines are important.
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"It has to be up and running for almost a year before you can actually say that it’s properly functional, so I’m now pessimistic that the Euros will be played in Casement Park.
“The Gaelic Athletic Association will always be in a very precarious position when we find ourselves depending on the goodwill of the British Government.
"It’s never worked out for us before. I’m very, very disappointed with the pace of how it’s gone.”
Ulster GAA has said it remains fully committed to efforts to host Euro 2028 matches at Casement Park, but hold issue with both Westminster and Stormont's handling of Casement's required renovations.
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In a statement, Ulster GAA said: "The time is quickly approaching for the UK Government and the Northern Ireland Executive to decide if they want to host the third largest sporting event in the world, in Belfast, in four years' time."
"The recent comments of Uachtarán CLG, Jarlath Burns, reflects the frustration and dismay regarding the delay in the development of Casement Park relating to both the procurement of a main contractor and the project’s funding package.
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"Following our joint letter with the Irish FA, to the UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak we have had confirmation that details of government funding will not be made available until after the UK Parliament elections on July 4th.
"To keep this global and transformational opportunity alive, we are now urgently calling on the Northern Ireland Executive to collectively discuss the opportunities that EURO 2028 will create for our society and the reputational, economic and sporting risk of losing this global event.
"Working in partnership with the Irish FA we remain fully committed to doing everything we can in the coming weeks to ensure that this once in a lifetime opportunity can be delivered for all of society.
"Casement Park will be built, and we will continue to work with all partners who provided commitments within the Regional Stadia Programme and successive Programme for Government to ensure that the strategic stadia needs of the Gaels of Ulster will be delivered."
Should current plans proceed, Casement will be built with a capacity to hold 34,500 spectators.