“We want to make sure that we continue to put pressure on the Executive and on the British Government.”
GAA president Jarlath Burns has called on the British government to help get the redevelopment of the derelict Casement Park over the line.
Burns met with First Minister Michelle O’Neill to discuss the rebuilding of the Antrim ground, and reiterated his belief that it can be renovated for less than what was originally proposed.
Burns said: “We just had a meeting with the First Minister, where we reiterated with her the fact that the building of Casement Park is an executive priority – it has been for the last 15 years – and the question now is for us as the GAA, like the other two major sports in Northern Ireland, we want to get it built and built as quickly as possible because this is really now down to time.
“We’re running out of time in terms of planning permission. Construction costs are rising, not in line with inflation, and I think it’s very important that we continue to put pressure on to ensure that Casement is built to suit the demands of Ulster GAA and so we can hold our Ulster finals in West Belfast.
“We think it can be built for around £260m.
“That figure is a figure that has been given to the Minister that includes all of the contingencies, unforeseen circumstances that might arise, but we remain very, very committed to Casement Park being built to become the stadium for Gaelic games in Ulster.”
Last year, Burns had said that the stadium costs would be around £270m, a huge difference to £400m estimated cost out forward by the British government when they pulled out of the renovation last September.
Their non-involvement led to the stadium being removed from the Euro 2028 rotation.
Burns has now urged the British – including Sports Minister Gordon Lyons and UK Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Hilary Benn – to pledge their support: “I think it would be very helpful if we could have a bit more action maybe from the Sports Minister Gordon Lyons in terms of the action points that we have agreed with him.
“It’s not a question of us asking him ‘is he committed to it’ – the Executive is committed to it, we are committed to it, the Irish Government is committed to it – and I suppose we are looking for a champion to put pressure on the British Government to ensure that they make up the shortfall of what it’s going to take to meet the infrastructure needs of the GAA in Ulster.
“I want him to put as much pressure on Hilary Benn as he possibly can.
“The GAA are not going away. We want to make sure that we continue to put pressure on the Executive and on the British Government and on all of the parties to deliver Casement for the gaels of Ulster, who are also taxpayers.
“I think there has been urgency in all of the other parties with regard to Sinn Féin, the SDLP, Alliance, all of those people are very, very committed to it, and I would urge the parties that are a bit reluctant to become involved and to become champions of this project to do so now, because it is an Executive priority.
“It is their duty to make sure that the taxpayers who are in the GAA get the stadium that was promised for them along with the other two stadia at the time.”
