How has it come to this
Casement Park in Antrim was once a by-word for a very tough afternoon for any sides coming to Belfast.
Situated in the heart of the city, it wasn’t so much the journey up that spooked teams, but the sense that Antrim and their supporters just loved bringing teams up and giving them a warm welcome in the only way Ulster sides know how.
That’s not to mistake the hospitality shown to visiting teams or fans with tea and sandwiches and everything else you’d expect from the GAA family after the game.
But that was after the war on the pitch.
However those days are now a memory after the iconic stadium has been left in rack and ruin by a combination of various factors from bureaucratic to sporting.
That’s why this drone footage of the stadium has made us particularity sad today.
The stadium was earmarked for a major renovation, but plans to rebuild came to an impasse last Christmas when a residents group saw their objection to the plans to build a 38,000 capacity stadium upheld in court.
That means that the stadium and works on its redevelopment have stalled with disastrous consequences for the grounds.
The GAA previously promised that the grounds would not become derelict but it’s hard to describe the pitch and stands as anything else from this drone footage shot by SkyEye Belfast
It’s understood that new planning permission has been lodged but there is currently three separate investigations ongoing into safety concerns with the venue’s original plans.
Have a look at the entire footage to get an idea of how once a proud home for GAA in Ulster is now a shell of it’s former glory
