Taoiseach Simon Harris is set to discuss the future of Casement Park in Belfast with the GAA in the ensuing week. The UK government clarified on Friday evening that funding would not be available for the dilapidated GAA stadium’s renovation in time for the Euro 2028 football competition, citing a “significant risk of inability to complete construction in time.” Northern Ireland Secretary Hilary Benn and Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy disclosed the news in a mutual letter to Communities Minister Gordon Lyons.
The currently idle sportsground in west Belfast had been chosen to hold five tournament matches, hosted collaboratively by the UK and Ireland. Mr. Harris noted that the news was met with “an expected sense of disappointment.”
These statements occur amid concerns from GAA president Jarlath Burns, who disputed the UK government’s estimation of over £400 million for renovating Casement Park to match Uefa stipulations, claiming it does “not match” the sum determined by the GAA.
Stormont’s Finance Minister Caoimhe Archibald also conveyed her intention to seek an explanation, dismissing it as a figure of which she had no prior knowledge.
Both the Irish Government, through the Shared Island initiative, and the GAA, had indicated their willingness to contribute to the redevelopment project, but the project has encountered stumbling blocks due to delays and escalating costs.
Mr. Harris said, “Despite the understandable disappointment that Euro 2028 games will not take place at a redeveloped Casement Park, it’s vital to remember the possibility of yet another high-end sporting facility in a city that revels in sport.”
Harris concluded by pledging an upcoming meeting with the GAA and reiterating that the €50 million pledged by the Irish Government to the undertaking will stand, regardless of the resolution around Euro 2028. He committed to engaging with the First and Deputy First Ministers on how best they can assist, whilst noting that how to move forward is a decision for the Northern Ireland Executive and the British government.
During a recent interview on BBC’s Sunday Politics programme, Mr Burns mentioned that the GAA’s estimate for the work on the Casement Park stadium was roughly £100 million less than the government’s £400 million valuation. He expressed that for the past decade, the Ulster GAA has been closely collaborating with a technical consultancy comprised of stadia experts who had produced a different set of figures.
He confessed that the UK government’s announcement didn’t come as a surprise. As he explained, the speculation had been around for several months, with his own skepticism voiced as early as May. Mr Burns seemed perplexed as to why the tender documents ready in the second week of March were not released, given the immediacy of the matter.
Last year, when the IFA and the Ulster GAA were invited to lend Casement Park as one of the primary venues for Euro 2028, both the organisations embraced the potential project for Northern Ireland with open arms. Regrettably, they did not succeed. Mr Burns reiterated that the GAA’s main mission was to reconstruct Casement Park, and all their efforts would be geared towards that objective.
He conveyed that he has been promised financial support to revamp Casement Park by First Minister Michelle O’Neill. Now, he urged the British government to disclose the exact required amount for the construction of the stadium.
Justin McNulty, an SDLP MLA and ex-All-Ireland champion with Armagh, expressed his disappointment in those accountable for the unsuccessful endeavor to reestablish Casement Park for Euro 2028.
Mr Benn and Ms Nandy indicated that the expenditures for Casement Park’s construction had surged significantly from £180 million (€213 million) to possibly over £400 million (€474 million) between the time the Euro 2028 bid was accepted in October 2023 and the present. They also pointed out that the delay in the refurbishment of the GAA stadium is partially attributable to the lack of progress made in building during this interval.
The ministers have pointed out their limitations due to a mandate from Uefa that requires all stadiums to be completed a year prior to the kickoff of the tournament for vital trial events.
Mr McNulty expressed his views saying that Casement Park isn’t just another stadium, but the very pulse of the GAA in Ulster that has been inactive for an extended period. He emphasised the necessity for construction to commence immediately in anticipation of Ulster finals, community functions and other perks a stadium of this calibre would generate.
Michelle O’Neill, the First Minister of Northern Ireland, labelled the decision as “highly regrettable”, viewing it as a lost chance both for sport and the region’s economy. Despite this, she maintained that the Executive remained resolute in their commitment to re-constructing Casement Park. – PA.