After five originally scheduled Euro 2028 matches in Belfast were cancelled, the Government approached UEFA to expand their hosting responsibilities. Sports Minister, Thomas Byrne, expressed the desire for these extra games to be dispersed on a regional basis, hinting at venues outside Dublin.
The previous month, the UK Government made a decision against funding the Casement Park redevelopment in time for the tournament. The now uninhabited west Belfast GAA stadium was expected to host five matches of the event, which is co-organised by the UK and Ireland in 2028.
Alternative locations for the matches, such as Croke Park and Páirc Uí Chaoimh, were proposed by Government Ministers after Casement Park was dismissed as a venue. The Aviva Stadium is already scheduled to host six tournament games.
Catherine Martin, Minister for Sport, speaking at Aviva Stadium last Thursday, stated her preference for more tournament games to be played across Ireland. On the discussion of additional matches outside Dublin, she believes that the decision must ultimately be made by the stakeholders, although she encourages a broader distribution of games. She also mentioned the significance of regional tourism to the country’s economy.
Byrne added that while the primary objective is to have more matches in Ireland, the final decision is in the hands of their partners. He clarified that discussions are still ongoing.
The Ministers publicised their comments as Ireland unveiled its nationwide strategy for hosting significant international sports events, an initiative that Martin believes would attract some of the world’s most high-profile sporting events to Ireland.
Both Byrne and she made it clear that each proposal for Ireland to host a sports event would go through an assessment of potential risks and rewards for the country’s economy and local communities. She asserted the importance of thorough procedures to ensure the potential economic benefits are well established before presenting any such proposition to the Government for approval.
According to Byrne, there’s no need for a dedicated body to green-light the hosting of significant global sports events. He referred to instances where the Government previously rejected projects due to unconvincing economics and suspected similar decisions in the future. He emphasised that while numerous individuals approach with creative ideas for grand occasions, these must be economically viable, insisting there’s an independent process in the department to ascertain this.
When quizzed about those feeling sidelined by the high costs of the 2027 Ryder Cup being held in Limerick, Byrne stressed that making such events within people’s reach was crucial. He underlined that they’re working on identifying potential long-term advantages to boost golf participation rates nationwide. He recognised that while the Ryder Cup is a significant tourist attraction, they are considering ways to increase the number of Irish individuals who play golf.
The ministers revealed they were actively pondering over potential bids for Ireland to host a regular season NFL game and the World Rally Championship.