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

[AustinPowers]

Stop begging  those British bastids for more money. F**k them

Get the builders in.  Use whatever money is available now.  Build it in stages  like they did with Croke Park if need be. 

Forget about the 30k plus stadium. A similar stadium to Armagh  is sufficient.

Just get it built ffs

[tiempo]

Just build this

Capacity will suit Ulster Gaa
Mixed terrace and seating
Looks great
140 million euro cost so money already there and this was built in Germany so should cost similar in NI not like the ridiculously inflated quotes mentioned in the media

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wildparkstadion

Stolen with pride, absolutely no bother with that

[Evil Genius]

I see now this morning a figure of £450m has been used...WTF. I'm hearing the figure on the Tender Doc's in £285m. There is no other way to dress it up other than we have been shafted...GAA was promised a Stadium in line with the other two sports and it was reneged on.

Wrong!

Ulster GAA was promised a £62m share of the (aborted) Maze money, which along with their own £15m, was to be used to build a provincial stadium on the site of Casement. This was in 2010.

Meanwhile, the IFA was also promised £62m and Ulster Rugby £20m, for them to spend on their own stadium needs. Both of them managed to get what they wanted within budget and on time*.

The GAA didn't manage it, however, primarily due to submitting a design which did not meet H&S requirements (chiefly evacuation in the event of an emergency), plus failing a judicial review by local residents. This was entirely down to the GAA, exacerbated by the suspension of Stormont for extended periods, plus construction inflation etc.

All of which was long before the Euro's were awarded to UK/ROI in 2023, which then became the GAA's last, desperate "Hail Mary" to extract hundreds of millions of extra money from HMG, at a time when there is no money for schools, hospitals, roads and pensioners etc.

So you can blame Labour, Tories, DUP, soccer etc all you like, but the sole responsibility for getting into this mess in the first place lies squarely with the GAA and no-one else - it need never have come to this.



* - Windsor was delayed a few months for a problem caused solely by BCC, but it was no big deal in the scheme of things, since the ground reopened in early 2016.

[Evil Genius]

Oh, and one further point which always gets overlooked.

If you study the original GAA Event Management Plan lodged with Belfast City Council in 2018, their anticipated Schedule of Events forecast precisely ONE sporting event which would be likely to sell out a 32k stadium each year, the Ulster Senior Football Final:
See Para. 3.2: https://minutes.belfastcity.gov.uk/documents/s92471/APPENDIX%202d%20S76%20Annex%203%20Event%20Management%20Plan.pdf

Considering that Clones already manages to stage this event; is closer to more of the 9 Ulster counties than Belfast; and doesn't levy 20% VAT on ticket sales, spending even the original £62m government allocation, plus £15m of their own, was hard to justify - all the more so when Antrim GAA somehow gets by on the 5K(?) Corrigan Park.

But to demand hundreds of millions for a stadium which was virtually never going to be needed, was the very definition of a White Elephant.

P.S. That GAA schedule for 32k replaced the original proposal for a 38k stadium - a White Dinosaur?

[weareros]

I see now this morning a figure of £450m has been used...WTF. I'm hearing the figure on the Tender Doc's in £285m. There is no other way to dress it up other than we have been shafted...GAA was promised a Stadium in line with the other two sports and it was reneged on.

Wrong!

Ulster GAA was promised a £62m share of the (aborted) Maze money, which along with their own £15m, was to be used to build a provincial stadium on the site of Casement. This was in 2010.

Meanwhile, the IFA was also promised £62m and Ulster Rugby £20m, for them to spend on their own stadium needs. Both of them managed to get what they wanted within budget and on time*.

The GAA didn't manage it, however, primarily due to submitting a design which did not meet H&S requirements (chiefly evacuation in the event of an emergency), plus failing a judicial review by local residents. This was entirely down to the GAA, exacerbated by the suspension of Stormont for extended periods, plus construction inflation etc.

All of which was long before the Euro's were awarded to UK/ROI in 2023, which then became the GAA's last, desperate "Hail Mary" to extract hundreds of millions of extra money from HMG, at a time when there is no money for schools, hospitals, roads and pensioners etc.

So you can blame Labour, Tories, DUP, soccer etc all you like, but the sole responsibility for getting into this mess in the first place lies squarely with the GAA and no-one else - it need never have come to this.



* - Windsor was delayed a few months for a problem caused solely by BCC, but it was no big deal in the scheme of things, since the ground reopened in early 2016.

You omitted one important part. The British and Irish government both signed off on the Euro 2028 bid, along with the 5 football associations, that had Casement proposed as one of the 10 stadia. British Gov has not honoured its commitment. Big sporting events require investment and they spent something like £16 billion on London Olympics. Otherwise yes the €62m is accurate and GAA has £62+£42+£15m to work with now that Euros are not part of equation. They could probably get another €50m from Dublin.

[Franko]

EG is correct in most of his assertions, although citing Clones as a better location would be tenuous at best

Thankfully, despite the incompetence of Ulster GAA, it's good of the Irish government to help the lowly British neighbours in London (who clearly haven't a pot to piss in) with a £50m voluntary donation

[NAG1]

EG is correct in most of his assertions, although citing Clones as a better location would be tenuous at best

Thankfully, despite the incompetence of Ulster GAA, it's good of the Irish government to help the lowly British neighbours in London (who clearly haven't a pot to piss in) with a £50m voluntary donation

Also failed to take into account the economic benefits accrued from an investment of this type. Future tax revenue generated, the economic benefits to the local economy in the building process etc
A chance to demonstrate that NI is a serious place to do business or invest in, this demonstrates the complete opposite and as such further extends the argument for a border poll and reunification.

The short sightedness of those celebrating this decision is extraordinary.

[lenny]

Oh, and one further point which always gets overlooked.

If you study the original GAA Event Management Plan lodged with Belfast City Council in 2018, their anticipated Schedule of Events forecast precisely ONE sporting event which would be likely to sell out a 32k stadium each year, the Ulster Senior Football Final:
See Para. 3.2: https://minutes.belfastcity.gov.uk/documents/s92471/APPENDIX%202d%20S76%20Annex%203%20Event%20Management%20Plan.pdf

Considering that Clones already manages to stage this event; is closer to more of the 9 Ulster counties than Belfast; and doesn't levy 20% VAT on ticket sales, spending even the original £62m government allocation, plus £15m of their own, was hard to justify - all the more so when Antrim GAA somehow gets by on the 5K(?) Corrigan Park.

But to demand hundreds of millions for a stadium which was virtually never going to be needed, was the very definition of a White Elephant.

P.S. That GAA schedule for 32k replaced the original proposal for a 38k stadium - a White Dinosaur?

Clones might be closer for some people in terms of distance but the roads are a nightmare. Belfast has much a better network of roads and most people would be there much quicker and able to get away a lot quicker after games also. Clones is a shithole of a town. With casement many people could go to a game and make a weekend of it by staying either the night of the game or the night after. It's a no brainer to build a decent casement and then use it for the big games in Ulster. It doesn't really matter if it's all seater, we can have a terraced stand also, the big thing for me is to have the vast majority of it covered.

[armaghniac]

I see now this morning a figure of £450m has been used...WTF. I'm hearing the figure on the Tender Doc's in £285m. There is no other way to dress it up other than we have been shafted...GAA was promised a Stadium in line with the other two sports and it was reneged on.

Wrong!

Ulster GAA was promised a £62m share of the (aborted) Maze money, which along with their own £15m, was to be used to build a provincial stadium on the site of Casement. This was in 2010.

Meanwhile, the IFA was also promised £62m and Ulster Rugby £20m, for them to spend on their own stadium needs. Both of them managed to get what they wanted within budget and on time*.

The GAA didn't manage it, however, primarily due to submitting a design which did not meet H&S requirements (chiefly evacuation in the event of an emergency), plus failing a judicial review by local residents. This was entirely down to the GAA, exacerbated by the suspension of Stormont for extended periods, plus construction inflation etc.

All of which was long before the Euro's were awarded to UK/ROI in 2023, which then became the GAA's last, desperate "Hail Mary" to extract hundreds of millions of extra money from HMG, at a time when there is no money for schools, hospitals, roads and pensioners etc.

So you can blame Labour, Tories, DUP, soccer etc all you like, but the sole responsibility for getting into this mess in the first place lies squarely with the GAA and no-one else - it need never have come to this.



* - Windsor was delayed a few months for a problem caused solely by BCC, but it was no big deal in the scheme of things, since the ground reopened in early 2016.

You omitted one important part. The British and Irish government both signed off on the Euro 2028 bid, along with the 5 football associations, that had Casement proposed as one of the 10 stadia. British Gov has not honoured its commitment. Big sporting events require investment and they spent something like £16 billion on London Olympics. Otherwise yes the €62m is accurate and GAA has £62+£42+£15m to work with now that Euros are not part of equation. They could probably get another €50m from Dublin.

I asked the question earlier in this thread as to what was the government contribution to Pairc Tailteann. I cannot see how the Irish government can just pile a lot of money into a ground for Antrim, which is what many people seem to want, if Meathm Louth, Kildare etc did not receive this money. If it is an Ulster project then on based on of having 3 Ulster counties they could pay half the Stormont amount.

[NAG1]

I see now this morning a figure of £450m has been used...WTF. I'm hearing the figure on the Tender Doc's in £285m. There is no other way to dress it up other than we have been shafted...GAA was promised a Stadium in line with the other two sports and it was reneged on.

Wrong!

Ulster GAA was promised a £62m share of the (aborted) Maze money, which along with their own £15m, was to be used to build a provincial stadium on the site of Casement. This was in 2010.

Meanwhile, the IFA was also promised £62m and Ulster Rugby £20m, for them to spend on their own stadium needs. Both of them managed to get what they wanted within budget and on time*.

The GAA didn't manage it, however, primarily due to submitting a design which did not meet H&S requirements (chiefly evacuation in the event of an emergency), plus failing a judicial review by local residents. This was entirely down to the GAA, exacerbated by the suspension of Stormont for extended periods, plus construction inflation etc.

All of which was long before the Euro's were awarded to UK/ROI in 2023, which then became the GAA's last, desperate "Hail Mary" to extract hundreds of millions of extra money from HMG, at a time when there is no money for schools, hospitals, roads and pensioners etc.

So you can blame Labour, Tories, DUP, soccer etc all you like, but the sole responsibility for getting into this mess in the first place lies squarely with the GAA and no-one else - it need never have come to this.



* - Windsor was delayed a few months for a problem caused solely by BCC, but it was no big deal in the scheme of things, since the ground reopened in early 2016.

You omitted one important part. The British and Irish government both signed off on the Euro 2028 bid, along with the 5 football associations, that had Casement proposed as one of the 10 stadia. British Gov has not honoured its commitment. Big sporting events require investment and they spent something like £16 billion on London Olympics. Otherwise yes the €62m is accurate and GAA has £62+£42+£15m to work with now that Euros are not part of equation. They could probably get another €50m from Dublin.

I asked the question earlier in this thread as to what was the government contribution to Pairc Tailteann. I cannot see how the Irish government can just pile a lot of money into a ground for Antrim, which is what many people seem to want, if Meathm Louth, Kildare etc did not receive this money. If it is an Ulster project then on based on of having 3 Ulster counties they could pay half the Stormont amount.

Lets put down as a down payment for the years of neglect and ignoring.

[Evil Genius]

EG is correct in most of his assertions, although citing Clones as a better location would be tenuous at best

I didn't say Clones was "better" as such, rather that it was closer to the GAA-supporting populations of Ulster, including the counties who regularly contest this one-game-a-season. (I mean, how often do Antrim get there, despite their being the most populous of the nine, even when excluding the Prods)

Thankfully, despite the incompetence of Ulster GAA, it's good of the Irish government to help the lowly British neighbours in London (who clearly haven't a pot to piss in) with a £50m voluntary donation

Were I an ROI taxpayer, I think I'd be hopping mad at this. If nothing else, they could use the 50 million (Euro, not sterling btw), to improve Clones, whether stadium or environs.

But hell, if Dublin wanted to build the GAA the biggest, shiniest, all-singing all-dancing super stadium in Belfast, then I'd say "fire away" - it's no skin off my nose.

[armaghniac]

Lets put down as a down payment for the years of neglect and ignoring.

You can criticise Dublin for not pushing on with unification, But if Britain wants to continue to run the 6 counties then they should pay for it and of course Antrim should collect money as other counties have done.

[AustinPowers]

EG is correct in most of his assertions, although citing Clones as a better location would be tenuous at best

Thankfully, despite the incompetence of Ulster GAA, it's good of the Irish government to help the lowly British neighbours in London (who clearly haven't a pot to piss in) with a £50m voluntary donation

Also failed to take into account the economic benefits accrued from an investment of this type. Future tax revenue generated, the economic benefits to the local economy in the building process etc
A chance to demonstrate that NI is a serious place to do business or invest in, this demonstrates the complete opposite and as such further extends the argument for a border poll and reunification.

The short sightedness of those celebrating this decision is extraordinary.

Yes , and yes

[imtommygunn]

There is probably a correlation with those who celebrated Brexit...

[red hander]

Another nail in the coffin of their 'precious union', and they're too pigshit thick to realise it.