A 25,000 seater stadium would be more than sufficient to cater for Antrim GAA needs according to the Saffrons former football captain Paddy Cunningham.

On Monday, High Court judge Mr Justice Horner denied planning permission for a proposed 38,000 seater redevelopment of Casement Park and Cunningham believes a comprise can be reached by reducing the capacity to 25,000.

"I think common sense has to prevail," he said to The Irish News. "If you look at Windsor Park and Ravenhill, their set-up would more than suffice for what I feel is the GAA's needs within Antrim. Whether that happens, remains to be seen.

"Anything in around 25,000 would be more than enough. If it was bigger, there might need to be certain amount of attendees for it to open, as happens with Croke Park.

"Dublin play all their [major] club games in Parnell Park - we don't have a Parnell Park. Will games be able to played in a stadium of that [larger] size if there aren't enough spectators?"

A teacher at St Mary's CBS, Glen Road, Cunningham recently opened a GymCo franchise at the Devenish Complex.

"Obviously it is unfortunate for residents, but there is a bigger picture here - this is for the betterment of not the GAA but the west Belfast community, which is crying out for such a substantial development in a deprived area.

"If you look at all the major stadiums, not only in Ireland but in the UK, a lot of the Premier League soccer clubs are in build-up areas and there seems to be no issue there."

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