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Casement Park

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Replying To Offside_Rule: "You'll do well to remember the film Beetlejuice at this point bumper...." Cant help myself offside....its a Friday after all Right here goes, brace yourselves! Gary, Gary, Gary bumpernut (Antrim) - Posts: 1852 - 03/03/2017 12:51:08 1963147 Link
Replying To bumpernut: "Cant help myself offside....its a Friday after all Right here goes, brace yourselves! Gary, Gary, Gary" that's like saying 'Candyman' in front of the mirror Bumper, your gona raise hell here again! SaffronDon (Antrim) - Posts: 2386 - 03/03/2017 16:56:18 1963242 Link
Looking at the pictures on Casement Park and the recent statement from Antrim County Board I welcome the call for Casement to be re-developed as a County Ground for Antrim and to once and for all scrap the provincial ground that was proposed there. The amount of money wasted on this project to date would have gone some way to having Casement re-developed to County Ground status. With the recent €350,000 given to Clones for improvement works, it's time to switch the re-development of Clones to a state of the art provincial ground. If that means that the money needs to come from the GAA and Irish Government then so be it and forget about the grants coming from the northern assembly or Sport NI. It's a disgrace that Antrim have no County Ground of a proper standard when Casement sits in it's current state. Tir Conaill Abu (Donegal) - Posts: 1671 - 28/08/2018 18:26:06 2137246 Link
After another statement today will Casement Park ever be redeveloped? sam1884 (UK) - Posts: 999 - 08/03/2019 16:33:47 2171113 Link
Replying To sam1884: "After another statement today will Casement Park ever be redeveloped?" Hard to know, the whole situation in the north is a farce and the main political parties should hang their heads in shame, I hope the electorate remember this shameful lack of representation the next time they visit the ballot box. If permission isn't granted soon then the project will be in grave danger, also whoever made the decision to close Casement before planning was granted needs to answer some serious questions Richieq (Meath) - Posts: 3734 - 08/03/2019 18:02:56 2171124 Link
The statement from the Ulster Council is hilarious, as it welcomes the latest vague messages from the Stormont departments about planning permission without offering any hint as to where the money for the increased cost of the project, which has just jumped by 50 per cent to £110m, is going to be found. We can be fairly sure that the GAA will not be covering the shortfall, after the Cork debacle, and the chances of political agreement on handing over an extra government grant of £32m do not appear great. Ulster deserves a new stadium, and Antrim urgently needs one, but sharply scaling down the capacity of the original proposal may be the only way forward. MourneRising (Down) - Posts: 238 - 08/03/2019 18:04:31 2171125 Link
Scaling it down? 34k is already to low for a stadium supposed to host the Ulster final. In all honesty it should be a 50k stadium fit to host the biggest possible ulster finals. Munster has four 40-50k stadiums and ulster has none. What's the point in spending 100m to build a stadium the same size as clones. Bring it to a green field site on the edge of Belfast for christ sake. Jack_Goff (Meath) - Posts: 2920 - 08/03/2019 23:27:03 2171176 Link
Replying To Jack_Goff: "Scaling it down? 34k is already to low for a stadium supposed to host the Ulster final. In all honesty it should be a 50k stadium fit to host the biggest possible ulster finals. Munster has four 40-50k stadiums and ulster has none. What's the point in spending 100m to build a stadium the same size as clones. Bring it to a green field site on the edge of Belfast for christ sake." I haven't known the Ulster Final in Clones to sell out so that tells me it's big enough. Back in the day when Tyrone and Armagh were drawing huge crowds it was switched to Croke Park but only for a few years. If a stadium is to be built why do you think Belfast should be the location? If it's an Ulster stadium them it needs to be centrally located in Ulster. Tir Conaill Abu (Donegal) - Posts: 1671 - 09/03/2019 23:03:19 2171339 Link
I'd love to see some decent money put into clones to update it . It's an amazing place to watch a match the atmosphere for the big games is hard to beat . The town itself has amazing atmosphere on match day. It needs updating it at the min is Ulster stadium and deserves to be invested in and njot ignored regardless if casement goes ahead or not. And I know I'm biased being from monaghan farneygael (Monaghan) - Posts: 277 - 10/03/2019 16:21:25 2171421 Link
I'm not trying to be controversial here. But is casement not in such dire need, that this is what Jarlath burns and Joe Brolly should really be pushing. ? royaldunne (Meath) - Posts: 19449 - 10/03/2019 17:31:59 2171448 Link
Replying To farneygael: "I'd love to see some decent money put into clones to update it . It's an amazing place to watch a match the atmosphere for the big games is hard to beat . The town itself has amazing atmosphere on match day. It needs updating it at the min is Ulster stadium and deserves to be invested in and njot ignored regardless if casement goes ahead or not. And I know I'm biased being from monaghan" I'm biased too but I was on Fermanagh Street the day of the Kerry game last year. Throw in wasn't until 4 but there was more atmosphere at 2 than there was at any time during the Kildare game in Croke Park the previous week. Where's the Fermanagh Street near Casement? There isnt one. The Ulster Final is an occasion not an event. To us Ulster folk, it's like the Munster Hurling Final. It's something you experience, not something you turn up for 20 mins before throw in and go home on the final whistle. And im a non drinker! Clones is very hard to get out of, making it the same as 90% of other grounds but Casement simply isn't an option for an Ulster Final. Let them build a version of the Athletic Grounds in Armagh because that's all that's needed. Worryingly the people in charge of Ulster GAA seem to have no appreciation of the Ulster Final. FootblockREF (Monaghan) - Posts: 564 - 10/03/2019 19:44:24 2171478 Link
Replying To Tir Conaill Abu: "I haven't known the Ulster Final in Clones to sell out so that tells me it's big enough. Back in the day when Tyrone and Armagh were drawing huge crowds it was switched to Croke Park but only for a few years. If a stadium is to be built why do you think Belfast should be the location? If it's an Ulster stadium them it needs to be centrally located in Ulster." I'd see no problem with it being built centrally and it would be a viable option for super 8 matches or an all Ireland semi featuring just ulster teams. I suppose Belfast is more viable for concerts. Jack_Goff (Meath) - Posts: 2920 - 10/03/2019 21:04:47 2171507 Link
meanwhile Clones gets no floodlights and no hawkeye as we await the golden calf in belfast that is casement. Ulster GAA seems to be prepared to sacrifice the interests of 8 counties to try to reignite gaelic games in the city of belfast. Clones is the spiritual home of the Ulster final so why mess with it. My guess for this decision is the same reason for all decisions in the GAA hierarchy.....€€€€€€€€. When will this amateur organisation ever learn. yes Antrim might need casement back, but a 10,000 seater stadium that would fit well within the existing footprint is all that could be justified at present, design it such that it could be added to in 10 or 20 years if needs be Antrim does need their spirtual home back too though and fast..just not the ludicrious one thats planned KeshGFC (Fermanagh) - Posts: 334 - 11/03/2019 14:07:07 2171644 Link
Replying To Jack_Goff: "I'd see no problem with it being built centrally and it would be a viable option for super 8 matches or an all Ireland semi featuring just ulster teams. I suppose Belfast is more viable for concerts." The Casement Park project was initially pushed by the British Government, who were heavily lobbied by the RFU and IRFU in the run up to Ireland's failed Rugby World Cup bid. A strict condition of that cash, was that the Stadium had to be in Belfast City, which was actually to appease Sinn Fein, who wanted to make it look like they were doing it [They weren't, they jumped on the bandwagon to make it seem like it was part of a West Belfast regeneration of their doing]. I argued strongly against it, because it is unsuitable location for Ulster's Provincial Stadium, whats the point of replacing Clones in one extreme location with another Stadium in the opposite extreme. I am happy for Antrim GAA to get a quality stadium in Belfast, but Ulsters Provincial Stadium should be more central, somewhere accessible from all 9 Counties. And if this White Elephant was built, Ulster GAA would have every County playing their home games for years to come in some vain attempt to make it not seem like a White Elephant. Whereas a central GAA Stadium in Ulster would be frequently used by all Counties throughout the year, If located in the Omagh or Ballygawley region, it would be within an hours drive for 98% of fans in all 9 Counties. To me an Ulster Provincial Stadium should be designed to primarily serve the needs of actual GAA fans who provide the majority of funding to the GAA. GaryMc82 (Derry) - Posts: 3017 - 11/03/2019 21:08:00 2171743 Link
Replying To GaryMc82: "The Casement Park project was initially pushed by the British Government, who were heavily lobbied by the RFU and IRFU in the run up to Ireland's failed Rugby World Cup bid. A strict condition of that cash, was that the Stadium had to be in Belfast City, which was actually to appease Sinn Fein, who wanted to make it look like they were doing it [They weren't, they jumped on the bandwagon to make it seem like it was part of a West Belfast regeneration of their doing . I argued strongly against it, because it is unsuitable location for Ulster's Provincial Stadium, whats the point of replacing Clones in one extreme location with another Stadium in the opposite extreme. I am happy for Antrim GAA to get a quality stadium in Belfast, but Ulsters Provincial Stadium should be more central, somewhere accessible from all 9 Counties. And if this White Elephant was built, Ulster GAA would have every County playing their home games for years to come in some vain attempt to make it not seem like a White Elephant. Whereas a central GAA Stadium in Ulster would be frequently used by all Counties throughout the year, If located in the Omagh or Ballygawley region, it would be within an hours drive for 98% of fans in all 9 Counties. To me an Ulster Provincial Stadium should be designed to primarily serve the needs of actual GAA fans who provide the majority of funding to the GAA."]Ballygawley is central yes but Clones a mere 25 miles south is hardly on the outer rim .. still the most viable reasonably central option .. and hell only 30 mins from my house !!! KeshGFC (Fermanagh) - Posts: 334 - 11/03/2019 23:36:06 2171778 Link
Without raking over the coals lads, there are many reasons why Belfast was chosen as the venue. It is not viable to build a stadium in the middle of nowhere away from the major infrastructure that Belfast offers. It would not be utilised enough on GAA games alone to justify the spend and keep maintained. Look at Croke Park - why do you think it was built where it was built when it is nowhere near Central to All of Ireland. And as I previously pointed out, travel times to Casement compared to Clones is quicker for the majority of the Province. And better still, most of Ulster would be in Casement park before or as quick as I would be in it and I live in Antrim! Offside_Rule (Antrim) - Posts: 4058 - 12/03/2019 12:06:16 2171842 Link
https://www.reddit.com/r/GAA/comments/b1ibmk/further_setback_for_casement_park_stadium/ More bad news for Casement Park. Looking unlikely at this stage. How much would it cost to get it up and running again from its current state? Couple of million? SlipperyDodger (Cork) - Posts: 93 - 15/03/2019 18:34:49 2172438 Link
looks to be a non event after watching tonights news? views anyone. I do believe Antrim deserve a first class stadium for their own use at this stage as it would help promote the games in the city mrme (USA) - Posts: 22 - 15/03/2019 20:22:17 2172458 Link
Casement Park was unsuitable as a Provincial Stadium for Ulster GAA, but I understand why Antrim were pushing for it, with them badly needing decent facility. A number of things finally broke its back, including - Ireland missing out on RWC (Original British funding was raised and promised with that in mind). - Original Capacity then had to be reduced to 34,000 after safety concerns. - Stadium costs continued to spiral out of control after continuous delays. - Brexit, the British aren't interested in shelling out more cash to GAA with things about to get rough economically. Ulster GAA needs a large modern Provincial Stadium, one fit to serve all 9 x Counties of Ulster. Since Casement clearly isn't suitable, we need a new process that will consider all other alternatives, and hopefully this time it will consider the GAA fans from all 9 x Counties that will frequently use it. GaryMc82 (Derry) - Posts: 3017 - 16/03/2019 17:05:57 2172650 Link
Meanwhile on planet Earth.... Offside_Rule (Antrim) - Posts: 4058 - 18/03/2019 11:44:39 2173357 Link