Casement Park in line for major overhaul - 40,000 all seater Stadium.

[armaghniac]

If some of the rumours going about about serious budgets cuts on Education are true, there no chance this pipedream gona get of the ground. Should used it to at the time to spend in the 6 county grounds and a 20/25k stadia for Antrim. Could actual put a decent pitch in Omagh, fired in a covered stand in Newry, Owenbeg,

This is a thing in its own right. Even if it does not go ahead, it will not be spent on education or distributed around the place.

[twohands!!!]

The lads in London going to foot the bill.

Still think it's too big and would worry it will be a bit of a white elephant but at least it looks like there is a possible end in sight.

https://www.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-games/gaa-hit-the-jackpot-as-uk-funds-set-to-aid-149m-renovation-of-casement-park/a393710467.html

GAA hit the jackpot as UK funds set to aid €149m renovation of Casement Park
Keith Bailie
Today at 02:30
The long-awaited refurbishment work on Casement Park will start in 2024 and be completed by 2026, two years before the famous GAA ground is set to host Euro 2028 fixtures, according to the president of the Irish FA, Conrad Kirkwood

In an interview published in today's Belfast Telegraph, Kirkwood insists the UK government have given assurances to the Irish FA – whose 12,000-capacity Windsor Park is too small to host tournament games – over the timeframe.

Rebuilding the new-look 34,500-seater stadium is estimated to cost £130m (€149m), with most of the funding to come from London.

This effectively means that the GAA has hit the jackpot after years of struggling to get the project off the ground due mainly to objections and rising costs caused by the delay.


The cost is now estimated to be almost double the initial £75m cost that was initially to be split between the Northern Ireland executive and the GAA. The venue was closed in 2013, but the original concept for a 38,000-capacity ground had to be scaled down to 34,500 following local opposition.

News that the UK government is coming in with a major package is sure to be warmly welcomed by the GAA.

If the joint Euro 2028 bid between England, Northern Ireland, Republic of Ireland, Scotland and Wales is successful, the GAA ground in west Belfast is likely to host four Euro 2028 games, including Northern Ireland's group fixtures – should Michael O'Neill's team qualify for the tournament.

Kirkwood said: "Our government partners assure us Casement Park will start in 2024 and finish within two years. It's important that we've a stadium in Northern Ireland that matches those in other countries. Northern Ireland's inclusion in Euro 2028 is a fundamental part of the bid, as it is a five-nation bid and all five nations must be involved."

While Northern Ireland supporters' clubs rejected the idea of Euro 2028 games being staged at Casement, stating "it is our view, and indeed our preference, that football tournaments should be hosted by football stadia", the IFA president insists securing the rights to host tournament games in Belfast would be a huge boost for the country.

[Brendan]

This Farce over tickets for the Ulster final shows it is needed even if it is full only once a year, many people going to miss out

[Armagh18]

This Farce over tickets for the Ulster final shows it is needed even if it is full only once a year, many people going to miss out

remains to be seen if that happens

[LeoMc]

Have to keep the bandwagon jumpers happy!
It is not a final without a fuss about tickets but rarely does anyone miss out.

[armaghniac]

Have to keep the bandwagon jumpers happy!
It is not a final without a fuss about tickets but rarely does anyone miss out.

If they have reduced the capacity of Clones then somebody may indeed miss out.

[bannside]

Surprisingly quiet here considering the media reports are stating that our the UK are going to pay the whole heap for a new Casement Park.

Wonder if strings will be attached?

Interesting development all the same!

[armaghniac]

Wonder if strings will be attached?

It will have to be called the Sir Roger Casement park and there will be no hunger strike demonstrations

[ardtole]

I honestly think it's a deliberate retaliation over the "milk and no sugar" comment. The tories haven't forgotten that, politics is petty, and they will have no problem rubbing salt  slowly into wounds.

It's a 2 finger sign to the dup and nothing else.

[RedHand88]

I honestly think it's a deliberate retaliation over the "milk and no sugar" comment. The tories haven't forgotten that, politics is petty, and they will have no problem rubbing salt  slowly into wounds.

It's a 2 finger sign to the dup and nothing else.

I had completely forgot about this, thanks for the reminder 

Derry club members are being told its unlikely their request will be fulfilled. Heard Ballinascreen got requests in for 1100 tickets.

[Wildweasel74]

Well if there 13500 In for the Monaghan game and half were Derry, I could rightly presume a sixth of Derry support wasn't from the Screen.

[Armagh18]

I honestly think it's a deliberate retaliation over the "milk and no sugar" comment. The tories haven't forgotten that, politics is petty, and they will have no problem rubbing salt  slowly into wounds.

It's a 2 finger sign to the dup and nothing else.

I had completely forgot about this, thanks for the reminder 

Derry club members are being told its unlikely their request will be fulfilled. Heard Ballinascreen got requests in for 1100 tickets.

Madness altogether. Too late for Croker? Good few clubs in Armagh in similar positions

[armaghniac]

The point is that you could give each club 500 tickets and cover everyone with a case for a ticket in that club, that's 10,000 per county. Then an allocation to people attending multiple county games, but this overlaps with the above, so a few thousand would do that. It is unfortunate that the capacity of the ground has been reduced, but a better ticket distribution system would accommodate it all the same.

With the Leinster final on next week they were never going to move to Croker and if you moved to Croker there would a loud whine about the cost of diesel or whatever.

[trailer]

If there was a better stadium available other than Clones it is realistic to think that a lot more neutrals would go. I would probably go to Ulster Finals with the family if the facilities were better.

[93-DY-SAM]

If there was a better stadium available other than Clones it is realistic to think that a lot more neutrals would go. I would probably go to Ulster Finals with the family if the facilities were better.

Most of the time getting tickets to a final will always be an issue for neutrals - unless you have big connections. Even if Casement was up and running it still wouldn't fulfill the demand for this weekend.   Casement would just be a more pleasurable experience for those of us that might be lucky enough to get tickets for Sunday.