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

[Blowitupref]

GAA Director General, Tom Ryan says Casement Park "will be redeveloped", that the cost of the project "will be met from committed funding and without residual borrowings" and that it will be "financially self-sufficient" when completed.

[twohands!!!]

GAA Director General, Tom Ryan says Casement Park "will be redeveloped", that the cost of the project "will be met from committed funding and without residual borrowings" and that it will be "financially self-sufficient" when completed.

That sounds pretty much an admission that the current version is dead in the water.

Even if the inflation-adjusted money is approved by Stormont the funding gap means that there is no way the current 34.5k version can be afforded.

The bit about no borrowings plus the bit about it having to be financially self-sufficient is a clear warning that Croke Park aren't going to facilitate a bailout down the road. It looks like some people in Croke Park have learned some lessons from PuC.

[Squareball71]

GAA Director General, Tom Ryan says Casement Park "will be redeveloped", that the cost of the project "will be met from committed funding and without residual borrowings" and that it will be "financially self-sufficient" when completed.

That sounds pretty much an admission that the current version is dead in the water.

Even if the inflation-adjusted money is approved by Stormont the funding gap means that there is no way the current 34.5k version can be afforded.

The bit about no borrowings plus the bit about it having to be financially self-sufficient is a clear warning that Croke Park aren't going to facilitate a bailout down the road. It looks like some people in Croke Park have learned some lessons from PuC.

It's to be hoped a few people in Ulster take heed from the PUC mess as well. A stadium circa 10k more than sufficient for Antrim's purpose. It's the rest of Ulster, Armagh maybe aside need funding for their grounds as well. Surely Munster and their multiple massive stadia are an example of how not to do things.
Only a ground of the size I suggest for Antrim would be self sufficient. The 34.5k version is not and when built Ulster will hand over the running costs to Antrim and in this day and age I would suggest they would struggle to manage, as would any county. Just bite the bullet and build a ground fit for Antrim's purpose.

[Wildweasel74]

The main problem in Cork was it was central in the city and not on a green field site outside it, on the North side, to allow making it easier for all incoming traffic from the counties above, for Munster semi finals and finals.Qualfier games, etc

[rodney trotter]

One of the Gaa president wants a scaled back Casement which would suit antrims needs. Burns was too intent with a vanity project for which they are 100m short of funding.

[Point_taken]

The sooner the pitch is open the better.

Ulster Council has been a disgrace.
Antrim board at the time was a disgrace.
SF have been a disgrace on it and now they see it as their great white hope to say they have eventually delivered on something from Stormont.
PBP have been a joke on it playing politics.
Residents had a point but then became NIMBY dicks.

The only people who have suffered are the young men, women, kids and grassroots members of the GAA.

I'd rather the thing was built with 10,000 capacity, mixture of stand, seats and terracing and good changing facilities. A souped up version of what we already had would do rightly and a statue to the great man to boot.

The thought of the Shinners standing outside cutting a ribbon opening it up makes me sick.

[armaghniac]

One of the Gaa president wants a scaled back Casement which would suit antrims needs. Burns was too intent with a vanity project for which they are 100m short of funding.

Perhaps you can characterise it as a vanity project, but this was supposed to be of benefit to all 6 counties rather than a free stadium for Antrim.

In the 1950s Antrim could build Casement in the first place, now they just want a handy ground with half the capacity paid for by someone else.

[AustinPowers]

One of the Gaa president wants a scaled back Casement which would suit antrims needs. Burns was too intent with a vanity project for which they are 100m short of funding.

Perhaps you can characterise it as a vanity project, but this was supposed to be of benefit to all 6 counties rather than a free stadium for Antrim.

In the 1950s Antrim could build Casement in the first place, now they just want a handy ground with half the capacity paid for by someone else.

9 counties, surely?

A 30,000+  stadium in Belfast never made  much  sense, financially or geographically.

[rodney trotter]

One of the Gaa president wants a scaled back Casement which would suit antrims needs. Burns was too intent with a vanity project for which they are 100m short of funding.

Perhaps you can characterise it as a vanity project, but this was supposed to be of benefit to all 6 counties rather than a free stadium for Antrim.

In the 1950s Antrim could build Casement in the first place, now they just want a handy ground with half the capacity paid for by someone else.

The hope was it would host Ulster finals, but having the stadium for Euro 28 was a big target.  They weren't planning on using it for soccer games after the Euros. In Scandinavia they share the ground with other sports. Ireland has lots of stadiums rarely full.

[BigGreenField]

One of the Gaa president wants a scaled back Casement which would suit antrims needs. Burns was too intent with a vanity project for which they are 100m short of funding.

Perhaps you can characterise it as a vanity project, but this was supposed to be of benefit to all 6 counties rather than a free stadium for Antrim.

In the 1950s Antrim could build Casement in the first place, now they just want a handy ground with half the capacity paid for by someone else.

75% of the cost of the last redevelopment of the athletic ground was paid for by the lottery and Ulster Gaa, a handy ground paid for by somebody else.

[naka]

An athletics ground /pairc esler type stadium would suit all.
We just need it built .

[lenny]

One of the Gaa president wants a scaled back Casement which would suit antrims needs. Burns was too intent with a vanity project for which they are 100m short of funding.

Perhaps you can characterise it as a vanity project, but this was supposed to be of benefit to all 6 counties rather than a free stadium for Antrim.

In the 1950s Antrim could build Casement in the first place, now they just want a handy ground with half the capacity paid for by someone else.

9 counties, surely?

A 30,000+  stadium in Belfast never made  much  sense, financially or geographically.

Totally disagree. Easy access for almost everyone because of excellent motorway routes for all. Compare it to the shithole that is clones with the pathetic road infrastructure. Clones is still a decent ground on a good day but it's disgraceful in this day and age that on a wet day 80 of 90% of the spectators will get a complete soaking. That's not good enough for big games like Ulster finals. The sooner casement is built the better.

[armaghniac]

One of the Gaa president wants a scaled back Casement which would suit antrims needs. Burns was too intent with a vanity project for which they are 100m short of funding.

Perhaps you can characterise it as a vanity project, but this was supposed to be of benefit to all 6 counties rather than a free stadium for Antrim.

In the 1950s Antrim could build Casement in the first place, now they just want a handy ground with half the capacity paid for by someone else.

9 counties, surely?

A 30,000+  stadium in Belfast never made  much  sense, financially or geographically.

The GAA wanted to benefit 9 counties, but the funding has a more limited perspective, otherwise they would just refurbish Clones.

[Wildweasel74]

Sure Clones need a refurb too. Or at least sort out the damn toilets

[GTP]

If you are building a new stadium, why would the GAA be aiming to replicate an Athletic Ground or Pairc Esler. I can't think of any GAA stadium in Ulster that you could comfortably sit through a double header in. And by that, I mean a minimum of a seat, roof over your head and have working pleasant toilets for male and females. Not to mention the extras that could make a GAA match appeal to families and other spectators, proper food, a pint, safe entry and exit. If they build something at least make it better than what we already have.
Would changing the plans now mean everything goes back to the start which is likely to cause further delays?
Over 15 years since this thread was started, I wouldn't be confident of a match being held at Casement Park within the next 15.