There is a certain irony in the key role played by international rugby and soccer tournaments in the development of GAA infrastructure.
In 2012 there was an agreement to make venues available to the IRFU to support the bid to host the 2023 Rugby World Cup, currently taking place in France. As part of the improvement to its stadium infrastructure for the bid, the GAA secured Government support of €30 million towards the cost of rebuilding Páirc Uí Chaoimh in Cork.
The emergence this week of news that the UK-Ireland bid for the 2028 European soccer finals is now almost certain to succeed appears to have had a similar effect on the long-awaited reconstruction of Casement Park. The Belfast venue has been included as the proposed Northern Ireland stadium for Euro 2028.
Years of holdups since the grounds were closed for redevelopment in 2013 have pushed the prices from an initial £78 million to more than twice that, an estimated £160 million.
The GAA committed £15 million at the beginning of the project but has not committed to any further contributions as the estimated costs have climbed.
Casement has seen so many false dawns since plans were first submitted that wariness could be forgiven now that the logjam looks to have finally been cleared.
For context, there was originally a concept that one big stadium, designed to cater for all three organisations – the IFA, GAA and Ulster Rugby – would be built, but only the GAA were willing to stand by that proposal.
“We stayed in that project right until the very end,” said Jarlath Burns after his emergence as GAA president-elect last February. He added that it wasn’t the GAA’s fault that Casement had come to a standstill, saying, “We need to hold the government to account that we get the stadium that we deserve for our patrons.”
The unwillingness of the GAA to fund Casement to a greater extent has become a lightning rod for political discontent among unionist politicians, especially the DUP, the largest of the unionist parties.
“We will oppose any plans to allocate additional resources to meet the GAA’s shortfall in the Casement Park project from NI Executive budgets at a time when hospitals and schools need additional and necessary resources,” said DUP MLA Stephen Dunne.
Key to GAA thinking is the fact that both rugby and soccer had their venues rebuilt in Ravenhill and Windsor Park. Arguments that neither of those organisations ran over budget to the same extent are somewhat disingenuous.
The GAA have been plagued by local objections – some upheld, such as the capacity reduction from 38,000 to 34,000.
The last of these, in May 2022, was dismissed by Mr Justice Michael Humphreys, who described all grounds of a challenge by Mooreland & Owenvarragh Residents Association relating to the planning process and compliance with environmental impact assessments as having no merit.
This was a challenge to one of the false dawns, minister for infrastructure Nichola Mallon’s decision in May 2021 to announce support for Casement, at a then projected cost of £110 million.
Unfortunately, by the time of the judicial review, the Northern Ireland executive had been collapsed by the DUP in an argument over the details of the UK’s Brexit protocols. So, the matter stalled again.
It has been revived by the Euro 2028 bid’s expected success. Northern Ireland Secretary of State Chris Heaton-Harris said in May that if the Euro bid was successful, the British government would find the money. This assurance is believed to have been formally given to the Ulster Council of the GAA.
Despite unionist objections to what it seen as the GAA getting a “blank cheque” for Casement Park, the prospects have been further enhanced by Taoiseach Leo Varadkar’s undertaking to support the redevelopment.
He had been in discussion with the Ulster Council on a number of matters and in August posted on social media: “Belfast needs this stadium and Ireland/UK needs it for EURO 2028.”
As to how much this support might mean, it is unlikely that the amount on offer would be less than the €30 million allocated to Cork for Páirc Uí Chaoimh.
Although the GAA have been adamant that they won’t go beyond the £15 million originally set aside, it would be no surprise were the figure to rise a bit more. After all, Cork received €20 million as well as assistance with the subsequent loans.
Ultimately Croke Park will surely realise that some compromise on its part will help clear the air politically for public funds to be allocated and finally deliver a flagship stadium for Ulster GAA.
Already, Ulster Rugby CEO Jonny Petrie has expressed enthusiasm for the redevelopment.
He told the Belfast Telegraph: “I think that’s always been part of the business case around Casement that we would find opportunities the way that you see with Leinster or Toulouse across in France with the football stadium.”
Politically, support goes beyond nationalist parties, with the Alliance Party also welcoming the news.
The success of the bid is set to be confirmed next week.
