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

[Champion The Wonder Horse]

Tyrone GAA chairman wants Casement Park project scaled back and money shared around Ulster.

Tyrone chairman Martin Sludden has called on Ulster GAA to scale back its redevelopment plans for Casement Park and build a more modest stadium appropriate to the needs of the GAA in Antrim.

Rather than continue to spend hundreds of millions on the stalled Belfast project, he wants to see investment shared with the other eight counties of Ulster, where stadiums have fallen into disrepair.

"Having spent well in excess of £20m already with nothing to show for it, Ulster GAA appear willing to spend hundreds of millions on a stadium that's neither wanted nor needed," said Sludden.

Tyrone GAA chairmain Martin Sludden
Tyrone GAA chairmain Martin Sludden
"The stadiums across the province need significant capital investment, some having fallen into a significant state of disrepair, including Healy Park and I would appeal to the GAA at national and provincial level to ensure that the other eight counties in Ulster get their fair share of all of the funding sources available to refurbish their grounds.

"We should not direct all of the funding to one single project to the detriment of all the other counties."

Is that the fella cost Louth a Leinster title in 2010?

A massively bigger f**k up than the massive f**k up Casement has been so far.

I'd be staying under the radar, sipping a pint in the Forge, if I was him.

Great wee bar, by the way, if it's still open.

[Milltown Row2]

The funding wasn't given to other counties, that would need to be revisited but I doubt its available to spend it that way, I'd say he knows this already

At this stage I'd like the grass cut and the lines painted 

[Armagh18]

The funding wasn't given to other counties, that would need to be revisited but I doubt its available to spend it that way, I'd say he knows this already

At this stage I'd like the grass cut and the lines painted 

Your best bet is hiring a very big strimmer...

[Duine Inteacht Eile]

The funding wasn't given to other counties

It wasn't given to any county.

I doubt its available to spend it that way

Why? Soccer were able to do just that with their funding.

[GTP]

The funding wasn't given to other counties

It wasn't given to any county.

I doubt its available to spend it that way

Why? Soccer were able to do just that with their funding.

Why? Soccer were able to do just that with their funding.

Soccer got money for Windsor Park and for regional stadiums. I can't remember if this was all part of the fall out from the Maze stadium failing to get approval but I don't believe soccer diverted money from it's intended purpose. I would imagine any money for Casement from government sources would be very difficult to spend on any of the county grounds, not to mention the difficulties of giving it to counties outside of NI.

[Duine Inteacht Eile]

Soccer got the same funding as we did after the Maze fallout. As you say, instead of throwing it all at Windsor, they decided it would best suited to put half into sub-regional stadiums. I can't see what there is to prevent us from doing the same, even at this late stage, other than ourselves.
We do also have over £50 million from Irish Govt/GAA which we can use for the counties outside the north.

[Milltown Row2]

Soccer got the same funding as we did after the Maze fallout. As you say, instead of throwing it all at Windsor, they decided it would best suited to put half into sub-regional stadiums. I can't see what there is to prevent us from doing the same, even at this late stage, other than ourselves.
We do also have over £50 million from Irish Govt/GAA which we can use for the counties outside the north.

I haven't seen the original contract for the distribution of funding, but I took it from what was said that it was a Casement park funding only.. is their a link to that somewhere? That many years ago I can't be so sure now

[Duine Inteacht Eile]

Someone has peddled that myth a long time ago because people believe it. Who? I've no idea. However, in the 15 years of debate about this stadium, I don't recall anyone ever saying publicly that all of Ulster GAA's funding must be spent on Casement Park.
I find it inconceivable that the IFA had autonomy to allocate their portion of the funding in whatever way they deemed to best suit their stadium needs but that Ulster GAA were under obligation to pour all of their funding into one stadium at Casement Park. Why would that be? Why would we accept it?

I'm calling absolute ballix on that. Ulster GAA want all of their funding to go into one stadium at Casement Park but would be able to change that at the drop of a hat.

[GTP]

My understanding of government funding is that if money is allocated to project X the recipent cannot choose to spend it on project Y. Soccer got less money for Windsor Park and the balance of the allocation went to regional stadium funding.
GAA and governments would need to go back to the drawing board to redistribute Casement money elsewhere. But as Duine says it is so long ago I could be talking ballix.

[Duine Inteacht Eile]

Ulster GAA have been back at the drawing board 3 times already and are likely to have to go back again regardless. They could easily seek the model soccer went for (and that Martin Sludden is calling for).

[Milltown Row2]

Someone has peddled that myth a long time ago because people believe it. Who? I've no idea. However, in the 15 years of debate about this stadium, I don't recall anyone ever saying publicly that all of Ulster GAA's funding must be spent on Casement Park.
I find it inconceivable that the IFA had autonomy to allocate their portion of the funding in whatever way they deemed to best suit their stadium needs but that Ulster GAA were under obligation to pour all of their funding into one stadium at Casement Park. Why would that be? Why would we accept it?

I'm calling absolute ballix on that. Ulster GAA want all of their funding to go into one stadium at Casement Park but would be able to change that at the drop of a hat.

Probably but I haven't seen the actual text of the 'arrangement' so can only go on what we all heard from whoever at the time was giving us the info

[bennydorano]

Any redistribution of Stormont/ UK money would surely only apply to the 6 counties as well.

My apathy to Casement is well documented, return it to acceptable county ground standard and move on. I'd also consider bulldozing it and selling it.

[Duine Inteacht Eile]

Someone has peddled that myth a long time ago because people believe it. Who? I've no idea. However, in the 15 years of debate about this stadium, I don't recall anyone ever saying publicly that all of Ulster GAA's funding must be spent on Casement Park.
I find it inconceivable that the IFA had autonomy to allocate their portion of the funding in whatever way they deemed to best suit their stadium needs but that Ulster GAA were under obligation to pour all of their funding into one stadium at Casement Park. Why would that be? Why would we accept it?

I'm calling absolute ballix on that. Ulster GAA want all of their funding to go into one stadium at Casement Park but would be able to change that at the drop of a hat.

Probably but I haven't seen the actual text of the 'arrangement' so can only go on what we all heard from whoever at the time was giving us the info

Without ever questioning it.....

Literally everything about this project needs to be questioned. And re-questioned.

Fair play to Martin Sludden for breaking rank. This funding was for GAA people in the north and has been fumbled by those supposedly working on our behalf for 15 years now. It's value diminishing all the while. It needs called out.

[Duine Inteacht Eile]

Any redistribution of Stormont/ UK money would surely only apply to the 6 counties as well.

My apathy to Casement is well documented, return it to acceptable county ground standard and move on. I'd also consider bulldozing it and selling it.

Indeed, although as I have pointed out, a huge chunk of money currently sitting in the Casement Park pot did not come from Stormont or the UK Government. €50 million of it came from the Irish government and £15 million was put forward by the GAA themselves.

[johnnycool]

Someone has peddled that myth a long time ago because people believe it. Who? I've no idea. However, in the 15 years of debate about this stadium, I don't recall anyone ever saying publicly that all of Ulster GAA's funding must be spent on Casement Park.
I find it inconceivable that the IFA had autonomy to allocate their portion of the funding in whatever way they deemed to best suit their stadium needs but that Ulster GAA were under obligation to pour all of their funding into one stadium at Casement Park. Why would that be? Why would we accept it?

I'm calling absolute ballix on that. Ulster GAA want all of their funding to go into one stadium at Casement Park but would be able to change that at the drop of a hat.

Probably but I haven't seen the actual text of the 'arrangement' so can only go on what we all heard from whoever at the time was giving us the info

Without ever questioning it.....

Literally everything about this project needs to be questioned. And re-questioned.

Fair play to Martin Sludden for breaking rank. This funding was for GAA people in the north and has been fumbled by those supposedly working on our behalf for 15 years now. It's value diminishing all the while. It needs called out.

My sources are telling me Croke Park have been telling the Ulster Council to stop chasing rainbows with extra funding from Stormont/UK Gov, interest or otherwise and come up with a solution based on the money they do have.
Sludden isn't breaking rank, he's just bringing it to the Tyrone publics attention.

Sean O'g McAteer had more or less the same sentiments in the Down County Convention report last week.