A new state-of-the-art Control Point was recently unveiled at Casement Park in Belfast. The £1.3 million contract was completed by Downpatrick-based building and civil engineering firm John Turley & Co. Ltd which, rather fittingly, has close links with the GAA. GAA fans who attended the big Ulster SFC semi-final clash between Tyrone and Derry at Casement Park recently will have noticed the impressive new Control Point at the south end of the ground. This state-of-the-art structure consists of a multi-functional control room, which overlooks the stadium and provides a safe, modern facility for all supporters in line with the Northern Ireland Guild to Health and Safety in Sports Grounds. The Control Point was completed earlier this year at a cost of £1.3 million by leading building and civil engineering company John Turley & Co. Ltd, which is headed up by Brendan Turley. Brendan is an uncle of Peter Turley who played for Down in their heartbreaking All-Ireland under 21 football final defeat to Cork this year and is also a member of Ross Carr's senior squad. A family-run business set up Downpatrick in 1973, John Turley & Co caters for a broad client base, including industrial, commercial and domestic civil engineering and private residential and public sector works. John Turley & Co is a progressive company that specialises in Design and Build, which utilises the most efficient construction techniques and years of field experience, coupled with the latest project management and estimating technology. The company is registered with NHBC, Constructiononline, the Building Guarantee Scheme and is certified to ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 standards. It is also a member of the Construction Employers' Federation and Federation of Master Builders as well as Safe-T-Cert. The new Control Point at Casement Park took nine months to complete, from July 2008 to March 2009. Funded by the Sports Council of Northern Ireland and DENI, the contract consists of a two-storey control block with piled foundations, structural steel frame, precast and in situ concrete floors and stairs, concrete block walls and partitions, bitumetal roof, profile metal external cladding passenger lift, mechanical and electrical services installations and external services consisting of new CCTV and sound system with extensive ducting, drainage and sundry site works. The ancillary site works consisted of upgrading the existing entrances and driveways from Anderstown Road, Owenvarragh Park and Mooreland Park, which incorporated a new drainage scheme and new wall with turnstiles and gates. Casement Park operated as normal during the construction period. The Control Point was fitted with a special green-tinted glass, which is designed to keep the room at a comfortable temperature and reduce glare, so enhancing the view from the room at all times. The Pilkington-manufactured glass also absorbs heat to prevent the structure from overheating and maximises the surveillance and security of the stadium, ensuring all occupants are safe. "We're very pleased with how it turned out," explains Stephen Hardy of John Turley & Co. "It really looks the part and is equipped with the most modern of facilities. There is a lift going up to the control room which seats 15, while the building also boasts media facilities and is wheelchair accessible. Overall, it's a tremendous facility and if other county boards are interested in developing something similar, we'd obviously be delighted to talk to them and outline to them what's involved." The Control Point is the latest addition to a stadium that could soon be transformed into a 42,000 all-seater stadium if a £100 million GAA plan gets the green light from the Northern Ireland Assembly. The Assembly has received a copy of the Ulster Council's ambitious plan to redevelop the home of Antrim GAA in Belfast. Under the plans, the existing stand and terracing would be demolished and replaced by a 42,000 all-seater stadium. The blueprint, which has been drawn up by Tyrone man Des McMahon, who designed Croke Park, includes retail outlets lining the Andersonstown Road. The "design concept" also states that in order to maximise the sustainability of the project, there would be "a variety of usages including sporting and non-sporting, community and commercial/retail applications." The plan was drawn up at the request of former Sports Minister Gregory Campbell following the collapse of the proposed Maze Stadium Project. The new-look Casement Park would cost an estimated £100 million to develop, and the Ulster Council are confident that it can be completed within four years. If the plan does come to fruition, it's likely that future Ulster football finals will be played in Belfast, while Casement would also be well-equipped to cater for All-Ireland quarter-finals and possibly semi-finals. Named after the famous republican Roger Casement, the West Belfast venue currently has a capacity of 32,600. It first opened in June 1953, with Armagh Harps defeating St John's of Belfast in the final of the inaugural Ulster Senior Club Football Championship The newly opened Casement Park hosted the Ulster SFC final less than a month later, which saw Armagh overcome reigning All-Ireland champions Cavan. In all, Casement Park has hosted eight Ulster football finals. However, the Antrim ground has not held the provincial showpiece since 1971, with St. Tiernach's Park in Clones staging the final until 2004 when it was temporarily moved to Croke Park. A major facelift of the stadium took place in 2000, a move which saw more championship games played at Casement Park. In 2006, floodlights were added which now enable hurling and football to be played in the evening. But it now seems likely that the stadium is about to undergo its biggest overhaul yet. Tweet

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