The North’s First Minister has called for “further clarity” from the UK government on the rebuilding of Casement Park, saying Northern Ireland must seize the “once in a lifetime opportunity” of hosting the European Championships in 2028.
“The next time a ball is kicked for the European Championship, it could be in Casement Park,” Michelle O’Neill said following Spain’s victory over England in the final of this year’s soccer tournament on Sunday night.
Taoiseach Simon Harris is due to discuss the rebuilding of Casement Park with the UK’s new prime minister, Keir Starmer, when they meet for the first time on Wednesday.
The derelict former GAA ground in west Belfast had been earmarked to host five matches when the tournament is played in Ireland and Britain in four years’ time. However, the funding required to rebuild the stadium has not yet been agreed, and there are increasing concerns that unless the money is released soon, it will not be possible to rebuild Casement Park in time for the Euros and the matches will go elsewhere, potentially to Dublin.
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Northern Secretary Hilary Benn has described Casement Park as “the most urgent issue on my desk” and has acknowledged while it “will have to be built”, this may not be in time for the Euros. On funding, he said there was “a certain amount in the pot, but not enough to cover what is the increased cost.”
The price tag for a redeveloped Casement Park has risen since it was first mooted in 2011, and money pledged by the Northern Executive, the GAA and the Irish Government – which has promised €50 million – is insufficient to complete the project.
Speaking on the BBC’s Sunday Politics programme at the weekend, Mr Harris said the Government was “in principle” open to increasing its spend, but also emphasised it had already committed funding and there needed to be “conversations to understand where the British government’s head is at on this matter too”.
He welcomed the “encouraging words” from Mr Benn that Casement Park would be built, but the question was now one of “timing” and it would be a “huge missed opportunity if we had a situation where Euro 2028 was being hosted across these two islands and we couldn’t see games played in Northern Ireland”.
In a statement to The Irish Times on Monday, the First Minister welcomed the “positive comments from both the Irish government and the British government in recent days on building Casement Park”.
Describing the chance to host the European championships as a “once in a lifetime opportunity,” she said “not only will it bring huge excitement for people of all ages, it will also be a huge economic driver for communities across the North as it is predicted to generate tens of millions into our local economy.
“This is our time to shine on the world stage, and to leave a game-changing legacy for local football for years to come. We must seize that opportunity,” Ms O’Neill said.
“We have made that absolutely clear in our first meeting with the new British prime minister and the British secretary of state and I look forward to seeing further clarity from them in the time ahead.”
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