Thousands march to derelict Casement Park to demand its redevelopment

By David Young, PA

Thousands of GAA players and supporters have marched to the derelict Casement Park stadium in Belfast to demand its redevelopment.

Following the noisy parade through west Belfast, a rally held adjacent to the crumbling ruins of the GAA ground heard calls for the Stormont Executive and UK government to end the lengthy delays in rebuilding the sporting venue.

The event was staged ahead of Saturday’s Ulster Championship quarter-final game between Antrim and Armagh men’s senior gaelic football teams in nearby Corrigan Park, a venue with a limited capacity of 4,000.

Plans for a 34,000-capacity redeveloped Casement Park remain in limbo due to a major funding gap of around £150 million

Stormont ministers committed £62.5 million to Casement in 2011, as part of a strategy to revamp it along with football’s Windsor Park and the rugby ground at Ravenhill.

While the two other Belfast-based projects went ahead, the redevelopment of Casement was delayed for several years because of legal challenges by local residents.

With planning approval finally granted four years ago, the £270 million project has since been held up over a dispute over funding.

In September, the UK government ended hopes that the west Belfast venue would host Euro 2028 soccer games when it said it would not bridge the funding gap to deliver the reconstruction in time.

In addition to the £62.5 million committed by Stormont, the Irish Government has offered roughly £42 million while the GAA has pledged to contribute at least £15 million.

The UK government has said it will decide if it will make a contribution to the build costs following this summer’s UK-wide Spending Review.

However, Northern Ireland Secretary Hilary Benn has made clear that even if the Government does divert money to the project, the sum will not alone bridge the current funding gap.

DUP Communities minister Gordon Lyons, who has oversight for the project, has rejected claims that he is not prioritising the rebuild, while Mr Benn has also pushed back at suggestions the impasse is the fault of the UK Government.

Among those who participated in Saturday morning’s march from nearby Rossa GAA club was former Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams.

Addressing the subsequent rally at Casement, Kevin Gamble, chairman of South Antrim GAA, told Mr Lyons and Mr Benn to end the delays.

“Our hearts are filled with pride and hope to see so many of our fellow gaels, young and old, marching and rallying in one voice in unison in their club and county colours from clubs from all over Antrim and Ulster,” he told the crowd.

“But unfortunately it’s also a sad day here today that we are not welcoming you all to what should be a world-class redeveloped Casement Park stadium, the home of Antrim GAA, the home of Ulster GAA, hosting schools, club, county, provincial and all-Ireland games right here in West Belfast.

“Our ambitious plans for a redeveloped Casement Park should be the pride of Ireland’s second city.”

Mr Gamble added: “Sadly, Casement Park, as of today, has been closed for over 4,000 days – that’s 12 years and counting.

“Ulster Rugby got their stadium in 2014, the Irish FA got their stadium in 2016, and I’m sure everyone in this audience here today supports funding and investment in sport, regardless of what that sport is.

“We’re here today calling for equality, for the GAA to get the stadium that we were promised over 13 years ago.

“For too long, the GAA and members of Antrim and Ulster have been let down on the redevelopment of Casement Park. The British Government Secretary of State Hilary Benn and the Communities minister Gordon Lyons can no longer treat the gaels of Antrim and Ulster as second-class citizens.

“Their delaying tactics need to stop. The call from our rally today is ‘no more delay, it’s time to build Casement Park’.”

Broadcaster and former Armagh gaelic football star Oisin McConville also addressed the rally.

 

“Other sports have nothing to fear from the rebuilding and the redevelopment of Casement Park,” he said.

“They have their stadiums and rightly so. But now is the time to get this thing done. For years and years, we’ve looked out and we’ve had hope that this will become a Mecca some day.

“This is not about the current generation. This is about the next generation. A lot of them are standing down in front of me here. This is not just about Antrim, this is about Ulster, this is about every gael in Ireland. This is about every province that we have in this country getting behind what is a must.

“Remember, this is not a ‘can we do it? will we do it?’ This is ‘just get it done’.

“Whatever needs to happen, whoever needs to come together to get this done, I plead with you, get it done, because the next generation we want to see playing in Casement Park.”