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

[Saffrongael]

No, we can't. One reason for this is that the site in west Belfast is being handed over free of charge (much to my dismay).
Also, Sinn Fein want to be seen to be hand-delivering this "economic boost" to their faithful west Belfast.

I have no doubt that there is quite a bit if political skulduggery going on from certain Unionist quarters. The thing is, you don't leave yourself open to that. Caral Ní Chuilín's latest stunt doesn't strike me as an option that would be taken by somebody who wants to move this project forward as quickly as possible. It appears to me that it is political deflection from coming under the heat. It seems highly likely, at this stage, that she has told lies. If so, be big enough to admit it, if not for her own sake but for the sake of getting this project going.

Or she could have played Nelson at his own game and lied through her teeth, ala Red Sky and the Housing Executive.

Caral doesn't come across as a slick political manoeuvrer.

I would say what comes out of her mouth is basically what her senior civil servants are telling her to say.

[Maguire01]

Come on Skeog. Keep up.

The grant is ring fenced for a GAA facility in West Belfast. That's the only option. There is no plan B. No alternative. No other venue. Sorry if that spoils a good story!

No, it's ringfenced for one GAA stadium. The GAA chose the location and there's nothing to stop them putting in an application for another location (in NI). This money was, of course, originally intended for the Maze.

[bannside]

That's the opposite of my understanding Maguire.

[jp2020]

Do people actually want this stadium? I for one dont! Sorry we need a stadium capable of holding say 25-30k but just not in that sh1thole! I've been to many matches there and its generally missing atmosphere. And at least you can park in any other ground in Ireland and your car will be there when you come back!

Time to end this farce and pick an area where the GAA is appreciated and generate that area. End the Shinner agenda!

[Tony Baloney]

Do people actually want this stadium? I for one dont! Sorry we need a stadium capable of holding say 25-30k but just not in that sh1thole! I've been to many matches there and its generally missing atmosphere. And at least you can park in any other ground in Ireland and your car will be there when you come back!

Time to end this farce and pick an area where the GAA is appreciated and generate that area. End the Shinner agenda!

How many cars have been stolen from attendees at Casement during GAA matches?

[general_lee]

I liked Casement. It's no better or worse than Clones, Omagh, Celtic Park etc in terms of match day experience. My preferred choice was a shared stadium or else nothing but of course Linfield/IFA didn't want that 

C Ní C is a bit of a tube and the sooner this thing gets some motion the better.

[jp2020]

Do people actually want this stadium? I for one dont! Sorry we need a stadium capable of holding say 25-30k but just not in that sh1thole! I've been to many matches there and its generally missing atmosphere. And at least you can park in any other ground in Ireland and your car will be there when you come back!

Time to end this farce and pick an area where the GAA is appreciated and generate that area. End the Shinner agenda!

How many cars have been stolen from attendees at Casement during GAA matches?

I personally know 2 people and have heard stories of others! Anyway 1 is too many! Andytown is just the wrong location. Its people playing politics in sport!

[drici]

Remember talking to a woman who had parked near Casement for a match.
She came out afterwards and discovered that the local Hoods had a placed a pretend parking fine ticket under the windscreen wipers of her car.
She said that her nerves were away so they were.

[ONeill]

Apparently 2000 battered sausages are consumed during a championship game at Casement. *optastats

[worn down]

Do people actually want this stadium? I for one dont! Sorry we need a stadium capable of holding say 25-30k but just not in that sh1thole! I've been to many matches there and its generally missing atmosphere. And at least you can park in any other ground in Ireland and your car will be there when you come back!

Time to end this farce and pick an area where the GAA is appreciated and generate that area. End the Shinner agenda!

Ever been to Croke?

[Tony Baloney]

Apparently 2000 battered sausages are consumed during a championship game at Casement. *optastats

Championship hurling with 200 people in attendance. 150 of whom came in the side gates as mates of the stewards.

[Tony Baloney]

Apparently 2000 battered sausages are consumed during a championship game at Casement. *optastats

Championship hurling with 200 people in attendance. 150 of whom came in the side gates as mates of the stewards.

I do love battered sausages.


I suppose "So does yer ma" would be the expected comeback.

So does yer ma.

[snatter]

Come on Skeog. Keep up.

The grant is ring fenced for a GAA facility in West Belfast. That's the only option. There is no plan B. No alternative. No other venue. Sorry if that spoils a good story!

Utter tosh.

The money is ringfenced for the construction of one single stadium. There are not, nor ever have been, any restrictions on the stadium location.

The choice of Casement was the GAA's, and the GAA's alone.

That choice was made on the basis of a flawed 2010 consultancy report, paid for and commissioned by the GAA, that wrongly claimed that the Casement Park site was big enough to host a modern 40k capacity, fully seated stadium.

The consultant's report was simply wrong, and the GAA were wrong to accept it. The site is too constrained and was never feasible without the purchase of many surrounding houses. Even then, it would be sub-optimal, more constrained than a larger Greenfield site.

The GAA, even at this stage should stop digging, and extricate themselves from the mess we're in. The site is too small. A larger site elsewhere needs to be found.

Even if the funding doesn't stretch to building the original 40k, fully seated stadium, an alternative larger site would allow the eventual delivery of a 40k, fully covered stadium as funds allow in future decades. The main stands could be built for example, leaving behind goals for future development. Casement, because it is too constrained, can never be the 40k fully seated stadium that this project was meant to deliver.

We should walk away from Casement, even now, after the effort and money spent, and that continues to get spent. The best time to plant a tree is twenty years ago. The second best time is today.

[general_lee]

And do what with Casement exactly?

[snatter]

And do what with Casement exactly?

Put a prunty pitch on it, and a small stand on side of it, eg 4k capacity, to allow it to host club and college games. It's blindingly obvious the site is too constrained to be the strategic stadium we need - that's where all these problems stem from.

That's why the project's been delayed.

That's why the capacity's been reduced.

That's why the main arterial route, a bus rapid transport route,  through South West Belfast would have to be shut on matchdays - there's no room to allow crowds to disperse safely otherwise.

That's why one of the stands would have no roof. In Belfast - rains a lot ffs.

That's why, to meet capacity, the deepest stand would have to be built BEHIND the goals, not down the sides. Complete madness. It guarantees rubbish viewing angles. Google "optimal viewing circle" "stadium design". I'd say Casement would be the only stadium built in the last half a century anywhere in the world where the deepest stand isn't along the sidelines. That's where the best views are, that's where people should sit.

The archictect themselves admitted the site is constrained. Pack up the project and move it somewhere where theres enough room to build it.  The best time to plant a tree is twenty years ago. The second best time is today.