Yesterday, Jarlath Burns, the President of the GAA, expressed dejection regarding the prospects of Casement Park’s readiness for hosting Euro 2028. His apprehensions have long been anticipated, but it’s still a letdown, particularly for those in Ulster who had high expectations of welcoming a substantial sports event.
In Lansdowne Road’s Europa League final last month, Dubliners reported an overwhelmingly favourable experience. Oddly enough, it was not marked by Jurgen Klopp’s triumphant goodbye to Liverpool supporters, or by the arrival of Glasgow Rangers with their accompanied drama. Instead, the event featured two teams, neither of whom had previously clinched the European Cup/Champions League or even a domestic league title, until Bayer Leverkusen’s recent Bundesliga triumph. There was no strong fanbase for either team in Ireland. Despite not being a high-profile match, it nonetheless constituted a high-profile event and this atmosphere was palpable on the day.
The situation in Limerick echoes that of Dublin. As Limerick stands on the brink of making history, comparisons with Dublin’s journey are inevitable.
Euro 2028 provided an opportunity for Belfast and the North to host multiple large-scale events (five games in total). However, prospects seem gloomy now. Labour party leader Keir Starmer could potentially intervene, but he already has his work cut out. By the time the issue of Casement Park lands on his desk, UEFA may have already checked out.
Burns made an insightful remark in a less publicised statement at the All-Ireland hurling championships launch on Tuesday. According to him, they would need to dig an additional four or five metres to increase seating capacity, an endeavour which will, no doubt, be extremely costly. He highlighted that it would be much cheaper to develop Casement for the Ulster GAA final as compared to the European Championship.
It’s important not to dismiss the idea that Burns seemed keen to transition the discussion from the distinct binary of whether Belfast will host Euro 2028, to the forthcoming course of Casement Park, regardless or independent of a Europe-spanning football tournament.
The likelihood of Casement Park becoming a 34,000-seater stadium abiding by Uefa standards is now doubtful. Nonetheless, a swift rejection of the Euros from a freshly appointed, Labour-centric UK government may provide the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) in Ulster and across the country an opportunity to advance their project based on their own blueprints.
Assuming the revised Casement Park must be of smaller dimensions, this is not necessarily a negative development. Once the Euro’s predicament is conclusively resolved and new plans are initiated, the GAA should resolutely forego erecting a 34,000-seater facility.
The forthcoming weekend presents a clear depiction of the GAA’s genuine stadium needs. Padraic Joyce was advocating for Galway and Armagh, currently among the top five national teams for many, to contest their concluding round-robin match in Croke Park. Instead, they will compete in Sligo town’s Markievicz Park – equipped to accommodate just over 18,000 supporters. Their game last year was scheduled for the slightly smaller Páirc Sean Mac Diarmada in Carrick-on-Shannon, invoking widespread outrage. However, that game didn’t even eventually reach full capacity.
The GAA maintains its strategy of favouring big construction projects without concerning about the ancillaries.
We shall find out whether this year’s All-Ireland hurling quarter-finals would be unanimously allocated to Páirc Uí Chaoimh by the GAA. Hypothetically, if the Cork hurlers triumph over Offaly at this weekend, Dublin’s intercounty squad would be placed in a challenging end-of-season fixture in their adversary’s home field. Any grievances from the Dublin County Board, under these circumstances, would be quite ironic, to say the least.
The Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) doesn’t require larger arenas, rather, it should focus on improving the existing ones and scheduling numerous games in them. If Casement Park transforms into a world-class sports venue and open-air event space, accommodating 22 to 25,000 spectators all seated, then this would result in a beneficial outcome for the GAA, on both local and national levels.
This week, Jarlath Burns implied that the GAA will always hover in an uncertain situation whenever it relies on the goodwill of the British government, an arrangement that has not previously shown favourable results. The GAA will continue to need financial assistance from the British government, an aid long promised to them after the renovation of Windsor Park and Ravenhill. It might not reach the £60 million that was invested in the Dundonald Ice Rink in East Belfast, as wittily indicated by Joe Brolly a few months back when conjecture over Casement’s future began. The funding, however, will be sufficient to construct the stadium in accordance with GAA’s expectations.