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Imho, a brand new fully covered stadium @ the Maze beats either Clones or Casement.

The simple truth is that it would cost us too much to bring Casement or Clones up to the level of what is proposed at the Maze.

The big problems with Clones are
1. location - it never made any sense to have Ulster's main stadium in in its far south west corner.
2. transport infrastructur is appalling. No matter how much it improves, it will never match having the M1 motorway at your front door.

The big problem with Casement is that it will never have the space to expand to be a fully covered, 2/3 rds seated stadium, which is what the GAA in Ulster are looking for.

Evil Genius,

I imagine gaelic games fans aren't that exercised because they are content in getting a top class, purpose built gaelic games stadium for next to nowt in comparison with having to stump up say a minimum of £50M GBP to build one ourselves.

Even after HQ's pathetic giveaway deal on Croker, the membership would still tend to trust that the GAA will negotiate a good deal and would only ever enter into agreement on a sound economic basis. When it comes to money, we like to think of ourselves as cute hoors. The VAT issue is a red herring.

I'm happy to be treated equably with soccer and rugby, but would be pissed off to the highest degree if a soccer and rugby only stadium were built with direct or indirect public funding.

Belfast City Council had better watch themselves on this one - unless they hand over another city centre park to the gaa to build our own stadium, I'd bet they'd get cleaned by the courts on equality legislation grounds.  We haven't forgotten that in the early eighties, the british govt gave the IFA/Linfield a brand new stand, and then refused the same deal to the GAA even though our crowds were three times bigger.
We'll not stand for it this time, in the new era of equality.

On the GAA side, the only gripes would be from the more reactionary  elements opposed to sharing with NI soccer, opposed to the location because its not in nationalist area, opposed because its sponsored by the british govt, etc.These elements are very much in the minority and would not be representative. After the casement fiasco, any hijacking of gaa policy by those who put their narrow sectional interests ahead of the gaa's best interests should be resisted.

I still don't fully understand the hostility of NI soccer fans on this one. Some say its the location, others say its the capacity, and others say their fans would be too far from the pitch.

On location, how would you persuade GAA fans that their kids are safe in Belfast?

Regarding capacity, its a bit rich saying that just because you can't fill it, nobody else should be able to. I know it might surprise a few NI fans, but the reality is that they do share this corner with GAA fans, who make up larger attendances and who have an equal right to be accommodated in any new civic stadium. There's a touch of "domination, or non-participation" on the ni fans side.

And as for pitch size and distance from the action, many of the stadiums in the Japanese world cup had bigger distances. If its good enough for the World Cup, it should be good enough for NI.

Maybe these so-called reasons are only a smokescreen for not wanting a taig about the place?

I don't understand this "we don't need a new stadium" stuff.

Try thinking the same thing the next time you're standing at Clones or Casement on a pissing wet day trying to get Neanderthals in front to put down their umbrellas.

It has been long established that the GAA intends to build/enhance one venue in Ulster to accommodate 40k plus.

The GAA has said that the new stadium would have to be at least two thirds seated and covered.The plans have been independently vetted and approved as being prudent and sensible.

The options are to
1. rebuild Clones or Casement. Neither are ideally located and neither have sufficient space.
2. build a brand new stadium. Requires expensive site purchase, planning, design and financial risk.

Before you all jump at these two options, consider the cost. It would be tens upon tens of millions of GAA money. Grant aid would not be a significant proportion. That's real money the GAA should be spending to rectify its pretty appalling record in getting people  to play in the large towns and cities in the North, develop new clubs, coaching, etc

The other option:
3. Get a fully covered, almost all seater, purpose built stadium, with no development risk.
All at a huge subsidy to the cost of developing it ourselves. Forget all the other crap about who we're sharing it with, etc.
The whole thing is a no brainer.
Second best gaelic games stadium in Ireland for next to nothing? Think about that the next time you're standing on a cold concrete bank in a so called stadium.

The Maze location suits most GAA fans as well - easily accessible by the M1, and safer than bringing your kids into Belfast for a day out.
We'd have no problem filling it. Even the smaller matches might test its capacity, as it should have a big novelty factor for a year or two.