Antrim Hurling

[Minder]

I said this was my opinion in my initial posts on the subject and they are still my opinions.

I respect your opinions to think that it was a great weekend and for the kids yes it was. And my views are similar along those lines.
We can agree to disagree on the other aspects of the weekend, as this is a forum of opinions.

However I will take exception with the Felie element, I think you/ we are being totally naive to believe that a special interest group would get involved in an exercise like this for anything other than serving their own agenda. I'm not saying that this was purpose behind the weekend but it is a drip feed approach toward an end game.

Yeah I would agree totally NAG, it's fairly obvious to anyone with a bit of wit, and has been going on for a while. Feile & Failte Feirste Thiar (same crowd basically) Heavily involved in the consultation process, involved in the "Gaels 4 Casement" group & the "get casement built" movement.

If people think they are doing this out of any love for the Gaa or for the good of their health they need their head examined.

[Milltown Row2]

Who really cares? Get the damm thing built it's a bloody embarrassment tbh!!! If they want some use of it for concerts and functions then what's wrong with that? It's owned now by the Ulster council now?

If people can generate money for when it's not in use (like Croke) then brilliant? It will still be a GAA pitch st the end of the day

[Milltown Row2]

It was that very simplistic mindset that has got us to where we are now.

Thankfully the GAA seemed to have learned from this, even if you haven't.

Have they?

[delgany]

Heavy duty recriminations and discontent with SV at mtg tonight .....! No room for anyone else at tòp table... it's SV or be dawned

[Na Glinntí Glasa]

I see corrigan is getting the London game in the league
Have Ballycastle lost their county temporary grounds status

From speaking to people from Ballycastle last year they didnt want the games again this year. The damage done to the two pitches at this stage of the year took it out on them. the money they received in hosting didnt justify what was spent to fix them over the course of the year.

Thats what i was told, whether thats the official line is another matter.

[paddyjohn]

Heavy duty recriminations and discontent with SV at mtg tonight .....! No room for anyone else at tòp table... it's SV or be dawned

Hardly a closed shop??

[Na Glinntí Glasa]

championship draws next monday night at the county meeting. I know its only Feb and all the pre-seasons have started again but im looking forward to the start of the new season. was at my first club game of the year at the weekend and it was good to get out onto a pitch and the running of a team again.

Interested to see this years draw and who we get.

[btdtgtt]

The "Feile Crowd" are more than entitled and welcome to lobby in support of a new stadium in the area - there would be something wrong if they didn't. Many other bodies are also supporting the campaign - there's nothing unusual in this. Don't forget it's Casement is public money not GAA money.

That's totally different to having a formal say in any GAA matters which they do not and never will.

Sorry guys I think you're just being wild conspiracy theorists on this one.

And I say that as a Gael who is loathe to anyone outside the GAA interfering in our affairs!

Glad to see the NHL games will be shared around.

[NAG1]

The "Feile Crowd" are more than entitled and welcome to lobby in support of a new stadium in the area - there would be something wrong if they didn't. Many other bodies are also supporting the campaign - there's nothing unusual in this. Don't forget it's Casement is public money not GAA money.

That's totally different to having a formal say in any GAA matters which they do not and never will.

Sorry guys I think you're just being wild conspiracy theorists on this one.

And I say that as a Gael who is loathe to anyone outside the GAA interfering in our affairs!

Glad to see the NHL games will be shared around.

It is public money that has been assigned to Sporting Organisations i.e. IRFU - Ulster the Soccer men and Ulster GAA - not to community activists or lobbyists. I think it is naive in the extreme to think that they are in it for anything other than their own interests long term.

What are the GAA giving up for their support?
Not a conspiracy theory when it is actually happening.

[btdtgtt]

The "Feile Crowd" are more than entitled and welcome to lobby in support of a new stadium in the area - there would be something wrong if they didn't. Many other bodies are also supporting the campaign - there's nothing unusual in this. Don't forget it's Casement is public money not GAA money.

That's totally different to having a formal say in any GAA matters which they do not and never will.

Sorry guys I think you're just being wild conspiracy theorists on this one.

And I say that as a Gael who is loathe to anyone outside the GAA interfering in our affairs!

Glad to see the NHL games will be shared around.

It is public money that has been assigned to Sporting Organisations i.e. IRFU - Ulster the Soccer men and Ulster GAA - not to community activists or lobbyists. I think it is naive in the extreme to think that they are in it for anything other than their own interests long term.

Their interest is clearly in the future of West Belfast - which is best served by a new Casement - what's so difficult to understand? Why aren't you targeting everyone who voices support for new Casement?

What are the GAA giving up for their support? Nothing. What do you think they could or would give up? How? Why would anyone want them to give anything up?

Not a conspiracy theory when it is actually happening.
What's happening is that an organisation charged with promoting West Belfast is supporting a new stadium in West Belfast. It'd be highly curious if they were not.

[NAG1]

The "Feile Crowd" are more than entitled and welcome to lobby in support of a new stadium in the area - there would be something wrong if they didn't. Many other bodies are also supporting the campaign - there's nothing unusual in this. Don't forget it's Casement is public money not GAA money.

That's totally different to having a formal say in any GAA matters which they do not and never will.

Sorry guys I think you're just being wild conspiracy theorists on this one.

And I say that as a Gael who is loathe to anyone outside the GAA interfering in our affairs!

Glad to see the NHL games will be shared around.

It is public money that has been assigned to Sporting Organisations i.e. IRFU - Ulster the Soccer men and Ulster GAA - not to community activists or lobbyists. I think it is naive in the extreme to think that they are in it for anything other than their own interests long term.

Their interest is clearly in the future of West Belfast - which is best served by a new Casement - what's so difficult to understand? Why aren't you targeting everyone who voices support for new Casement?

What are the GAA giving up for their support? Nothing. What do you think they could or would give up? How? Why would anyone want them to give anything up?

Not a conspiracy theory when it is actually happening.
What's happening is that an organisation charged with promoting West Belfast is supporting a new stadium in West Belfast. It'd be highly curious if they were not.

So you believe that in exchange for their support they are not being offered anything? Naive much?

I for one as an Antrim Gael do not want us to be giving up the rights to our own county ground, with no say in when its open, for how many games and whether we will have access to it etc etc etc I also as part of that take issue with a special interest group, exerting external influence on promoting this, until we as a collective of Antrim gaels have been given reassurances around these issues.

To extend the point further, I want what is best for Antrim GAA - not what will regenerate West Belfast. If the two happen to coincide then mores the better but not at the expense of the first.

It is not the responsibility of or the gift of anyone one to give up the rights to our county ground simply to get a stadium built to suit the needs of Ulster council.

Therefore anyone who is supportive of pushing this through I consider to have an ulterior motive in this.

[Milltown Row2]

So have we (Antrim) not already given up the rights to the Ulster council? and you are happy enough to reap the benefits from Croke Park who on regular occurrences give Croke Park over to various sports and concerts and whatever other functions that are carried in its rooms upstairs to generate a revenue?

Tell me what are these things NAG1 that are going to hurt Antrim? Id be very curious to know

[Jesusjones]

Happy to take public money but have a problem when the public offer an opinion?

[podge]

I don't think its unreasonable for Antrim Gaels to be curious as to what rights of access etc we have to our former county ground once the new facility is complete.    Or have we just given it up for the greater good?

- there used to be advertising hoarding around the ground which presumably generated income- we just lose that?
- we used to have our admin offices etc at the ground, rent free, overhead light.  do we now rent somewhere at a cost or does the new casement facilitate new offices
-presumably when we hosted ulster finals and the like before, we got a share of the gate.  Is that now lost income?
- do we have free access to it in the future for county matches?  club matches/county finals
- This is with the benefit of hindsight but I really don't understand why the whole place was vacated and mothballed so many years ago when planning was not complete, never mind construction commencing

In other words, what exactly is the deal from antrims perspective.  Maybe there are logical answers to it all.

Maybe we were smart and we have a deal with Ulster Council that is similar to the old Linfield/IFA Windsor Park deal where Linfield were basically paid a ludicrous rent that gave them an unfair advantage over all the soccer bods. 

[Milltown Row2]

I don't think its unreasonable for Antrim Gaels to be curious as to what rights of access etc we have to our former county ground once the new facility is complete.    Or have we just given it up for the greater good?

- there used to be advertising hoarding around the ground which presumably generated income- we just lose that?
- we used to have our admin offices etc at the ground, rent free, overhead light.  do we now rent somewhere at a cost or does the new casement facilitate new offices
-presumably when we hosted ulster finals and the like before, we got a share of the gate.  Is that now lost income?
- do we have free access to it in the future for county matches?  club matches/county finals
- This is with the benefit of hindsight but I really don't understand why the whole place was vacated and mothballed so many years ago when planning was not complete, never mind construction commencing

In other words, what exactly is the deal from antrims perspective.  Maybe there are logical answers to it all.

Maybe we were smart and we have a deal with Ulster Council that is similar to the old Linfield/IFA Windsor Park deal where Linfield were basically paid a ludicrous rent that gave them an unfair advantage over all the soccer bods.

When signing this over was there conditions laid out to ensure some of the things you've mentioned? Would be only guessing or assuming anything at this stage surely??