A major stadium for Gaelic games in the North moved a significant step closer after the GAA secured a £61.4 million (€46.6 million) investment from the Stormont Executive.
The redevelopment of the existing Casement Park grounds, in the heart of west Belfast, into a seated, 40,000-capacity stadium has been in the pipeline since as far back as 2002, when a GAA strategic review recommended each province boast a state-of-the-art arena, but progress has been stop-start.
The funds from the Northern Ireland Executive were formally accepted after a meeting of the GAA’s Ulster council last night following a meeting of the National Management Committee the previous evening at Croke Park.
Tenders have already gone out for a design team, and it is envisaged construction will begin in mid-2013.
Commenting, Ulster GAA president Aogán O Fearghail said: “This is a significant milestone in both the Casement Park redevelopment and the ongoing implementation of the Ulster GAA strategic action plan and vision.
“A strong team has worked extremely hard to make our vision of a new provincial stadium in Ireland’s second city a reality.”
SDLP councillor Tim Attwood said the news was a “huge boost” to west Belfast. “This part of the city has suffered greatly in terms of disadvantage, so we’re very keen that the whole community can benefit from the economic stimulus a new stadium will bring,” he said.
“I have already spoken to businesspeople in the area who are very excited about the prospect of major fixtures bringing in tourism and spin-off trade.”
Tom Daly, the chairman of the Casement Park Stadium Board, said the decision was an important marker in the process “to ensure provision of a modern, fit-for-purpose stadium in Ulster”.
He continued: “We have engaged closely with the individual county committee chairpersons, the Ulster Council and the GAA at central level to ensure a united approach. This allows us to progress full steam ahead.”
The move clarifies what has sometimes been a complicated back-story. In 2006, proposals were raised to build a new stadium for a range of sports in Northern Ireland at the former Maze prison. Opposition to that idea
eventually led to an alternative proposal to site a new facility in east Belfast. It was at this point that Ulster GAA pulled out in favour of remaining at Casement Park.
The Northern Ireland Executive has earmarked more than £100 million in total to redevelop stadia across GAA, rugby and football.