The long-awaited redevelopment of Casement Park (UK) has received two boosts as the complex project looks set to progress significantly this year.
‘rte.ie’ stated that Northern Ireland’s Executive recently signaled its intention to reflect inflationary pressures in additional funding for Casement Park and in doing so unveiled a draft budget which includes an extra £40m (€46m) for the redevelopment of the Belfast venue though the budget proposals are subject to further consideration.
Planning permission is due to expire in July 2026 with a phased delivery of the stadium due to unfold.
The Casement Park is the principal Gaelic games stadium in Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK. It is located in Andersonstown Road in the West of the City and is named after the Irish revolutionary Roger Casement. The stadium, which has been closed since June 2013, previously had a capacity of approximately 31,500.
‘rte.ie’ further stated that meanwhile, writing in his annual report, the Ulster Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) head honcho Brian McAvoy stated that 2026 would be the year when “it appears that we will finally be entering the delivery phase” of Casement Park.
The Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) is an Irish international amateur sporting and cultural organization focused primarily on promoting indigenous Gaelic games and pastimes which include the traditional Irish sports of hurling, camogie, Gaelic football, Gaelic handball, and GAA rounders. The association also promotes Irish music and dance as well as the Irish language and it also promotes environmental stewardship through its Green Clubs initiative.
The Ulster GAA is one of the five provincial Councils of the Gaelic Athletic Association responsible for governing, promoting and developing Gaelic games – specifically football, hurling and handball – across the nine counties of Ulster. Based in Armagh, it oversees nearly 400 clubs, 200,000 volunteers and major tournaments like the Ulster Senior Football Championship.
The delays in rolling out the stadium, which last hosted a game 13 years ago, have been many and varied.
The initial planning permission for a 38,000-capacity stadium was subsequently overturned by a judicial review in 2014.
In 2021, permission was then granted for an arena catering for 34,500 people but subsequent inflation increases have driven the project from its initial cost of £78.5m to an estimated £260m last year.
Along the way, Casement Park missed out on the prospect of being a host venue for EURO 2028.
Confirmed funding thus far includes £62.5m from Stormont (the seat of Northern Ireland’s devolved Government housing the Northern Ireland Assembly), Croke Park (£15m) and the Irish Government (£42m).
The 82,300-capacity Croke Park is a Gaelic games stadium in Dublin, Ireland. Named after Archbishop Thomas Croke it is referred to as Croker by the GAA fans and the locals. It serves as both the principal national stadium of Ireland and headquarters of the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA).
The UK Government has pledged £50m and the Stormont Finance Minister John O’Dowd proposed additional funding of £46m to reflect inflationary pressures.
Minister O’Dowd said his draft multiyear budget would allow Stormont Departments to plan longer-term spending.
The plan has not yet been agreed by the other executive parties.
Based on these figures the overall current funding for Casement would stand at around £215m.
Reacting to the news, the Provincial Council said, “The Ulster GAA and its Stadium Project Board welcome the publication of the Northern Ireland Executive’s draft budget and the proposed increase in funding for the redevelopment of Casement Park to take account of inflationary pressures given delays for the project to date. This represents a significant and positive step forward in a project that Ulster GAA, alongside many partners, has worked diligently on for a number of years to secure. The Casement Park is an Executive flagship program for Government priority and a vital piece of sporting and community infrastructure not only for Gaelic games but for the wider sporting and cultural life of the North.”
And writing in his annual report Brian McAvoy also wrote of a clearer line of sight emerging – “The focus of the Casement Park team over the past year was on realignment for the project and a return to our original ambition to work towards delivering a provincial, fit-for-purpose GAA stadium in Belfast. A significant amount of time and effort in 2025 was also dedicated to working with Antrim GAA (one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland) on an interim management agreement for the redeveloped stadium which was required ahead of the relocation of the Social Club from the site to the new temporary facility at St Agnes’ Hall. At the time of writing, indications are encouraging that we will return to site in January 2026 to complete our demolition program followed by a remediation and bulk dig contract that will prepare the site for future development.”
Continued McAvoy, “Work is progressing towards a deliverable, affordable scheme that meets the GAA’s strategic requirements. As we move into 2026, it appears that we will finally be entering the delivery phase of the Casement Park Project – a significant milestone not only for the Ulster GAA but for the entire GAA community. The Casement Park is now firmly established as a key sporting, cultural, economic, and social priority for the Northern Ireland Executive, the Irish Government and the British Government. Within our own association and across the wider community it is more important now than ever to remain fully focused on the delivery of what has been promised and we must remain united and steadfast in our determination to ensure its delivery once and for all.”
The 2028 Union of European Football Association (UEFA) European Football Championship, commonly referred to as UEFA EURO 2028 or simply EURO 2028, will be the 18th UEFA European Championship, the quadrennial international football championship. It will be co-hosted by England, Scotland, Wales, and the Republic of Ireland and will take place from June 9th– July 9th, 2028.
Nyon (Switzerland)-based the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) is one of six continental bodies of governance in association football. It governs football, futsal and beach football in Europe and the transcontinental countries of Russia (suspended), Turkey, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Kazakhstan as well as the West Asian countries of Cyprus, Armenia and Israel. The UEFA consists of 55 national association members. After the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, the FIFA and the UEFA suspended all Russian national teams and clubs from any FIFA and UEFA competitions.
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