National Forum

ANTRIM NOT BACKING DOWN

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Replying To Hawkeye2:  "Best of luck to the Antrim Footballers on this, I hope they hold their ground.

Leinster Council treated us similarly disgracefully a few years ago when we were drawn at home to Dublin. Bringing the high flying Dubs into Aughrim would have been a major boost for games promotion for Wicklow, but alas no, we were sent to Portlaoise (a ground apparently that wasn't good enough to cater for the Dubs when Laois drew them at home a year beforehand and they had to go to Kilkenny, GAA logic at it's finest)

Armagh will likely play a bunch of matches this summer and many of them in Croke Park where anybody that wants to go see them can. Antrim footballers most likely won't play too many and what an opportunity to let the youngsters in Antrim see their team play the AI champions in their own county. Better than any token jester "games development funding' the GAA provide.

I played GAA for nearly 40 years in Wicklow and it started when my father brought me to Aughrim in 86 to see us beat the then league champions Laois in the 'battle of Aughrim' From that day , I was hooked."
Was that the day the referee was put into the boot of a car? If so was it done by Laois fans since they lost the match?

tireoghainabu (Tyrone) - Posts: 387 - 13/03/2025 16:08:55    2596273

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Replying To Square_B:  "The project is being held up because Westminster will not foot the remaining cost of over £150mil. And let's be honest about it as well, Stormont funding is effectively Westminster funding as well. It's time everyone wised up to this. Over 45% of the 'new cost' has been committed with a sizable contribution from the Irish Government (which they had no obligation to make a contribution to BTW). It would be in everyone's interests to get on with the project with the funding available, surely a 20 - 25k capacity stadium could be built for c£120mil with seating / corporate facilities in a main stand and terraces (perhaps higher if the GAA increase their contribution & Westminster match the Irish Government funding)."
Last I heard, the project is being revamped to a more modest and affordable idea. I also heard Ulster GAA have stated that the overall figures that the British Government and the DUP have been quoting for the rebuild have been hugely exaggerated. Who would've thought, eh?

SaffronDon (Antrim) - Posts: 2557 - 13/03/2025 16:18:37    2596274

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Replying To Seanfanbocht:  "Has any work started on Casement?
Are there any plans to start work any time soon?

Not to mention asking why in the name of God they closed Casement down before planning was obtained and a contractor appointed?"
Planning permission was granted but it will run out next year and as far as a know, they are working on a feasible solution to start within that timeframe.

The Ulster council gave the order for Casement to close. Lord knows why. Given the politics of the 6 counties, it was a real school boy error.

SaffronDon (Antrim) - Posts: 2557 - 13/03/2025 16:23:53    2596275

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Replying To SaffronDon:  "Planning permission was granted but it will run out next year and as far as a know, they are working on a feasible solution to start within that timeframe.

The Ulster council gave the order for Casement to close. Lord knows why. Given the politics of the 6 counties, it was a real school boy error."
Politics or not it was a totally stupid thing to do.

Seanfanbocht (Roscommon) - Posts: 2183 - 13/03/2025 16:52:50    2596277

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Replying To tireoghainabu:  "Was that the day the referee was put into the boot of a car? If so was it done by Laois fans since they lost the match?"
No. That happened in Baltinglass rather than Aughrim, and it was after a club U21 Final rather than an inter-county match.

The story of it is here:
https://www.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-games/the-story-of-why-a-referee-was-forced-to-hide-in-the-boot-of-a-car-after-a-gaa-match/39434105.html
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Pikeman96 (Wexford) - Posts: 2800 - 13/03/2025 17:11:05    2596278

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Replying To SaffronDon:  "Last I heard, the project is being revamped to a more modest and affordable idea. I also heard Ulster GAA have stated that the overall figures that the British Government and the DUP have been quoting for the rebuild have been hugely exaggerated. Who would've thought, eh?"
More modest and affordable than West Belfast? How would that make sense, when they have a site already.
They'd have to purchase another site and start again.. surely that's not viable?

PeterQ92 (Donegal) - Posts: 145 - 13/03/2025 17:19:08    2596279

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Replying To SaffronDon:  "Last I heard, the project is being revamped to a more modest and affordable idea. I also heard Ulster GAA have stated that the overall figures that the British Government and the DUP have been quoting for the rebuild have been hugely exaggerated. Who would've thought, eh?"
Hold on a second, Jarleth Burns is on record stating that the stadium can be developed for around £260mil (https://www.rte.ie/news/ulster/2025/0211/1496139-casement-park-rebuild/). A figure of £270mil is mentioned in the article. I haven't seen any commentary about any other cost so I'm not sure why you've brought the DUP into this when it's Westminster who won't foot the funding shortfall or at least given us a figure which Westminster have brought to the table.

Bottom line is that a stadium can be developed but one which accounts for the funding already available & perhaps a bit more. The Gtech soccer stadium in Brentford (18k all seater) was developed for c70mil on a tighter site. Granted before Covid but the point is, a slimmed down stadium, less seating & more terraces can be developed. A Breffni Park type stadium with an enhanced main stand & corporate facilities.

Square_B (Leitrim) - Posts: 1238 - 13/03/2025 17:28:05    2596282

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Replying To SaffronDon:  "Last I heard, the project is being revamped to a more modest and affordable idea. I also heard Ulster GAA have stated that the overall figures that the British Government and the DUP have been quoting for the rebuild have been hugely exaggerated. Who would've thought, eh?"
I think what Ulster GAA said was more along the lines that the figures previously quoted by those others are now excessive, since the stadium no longer has to be built to UEFA standards, and can therefore be done for a lower price. That's different to suggesting that the figures were hugely and deliberately exaggerated.

And before anybody accuses me of defending the DUP or 'the Brits' again, think of it this way instead - I'm actually defending Ulster GAA, by trying to represent what they actually said, rather than somebody's misinterpretation of it.

Pikeman96 (Wexford) - Posts: 2800 - 13/03/2025 17:47:38    2596283

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Fleadh Cheoil is coming to Belfast next year. Some of the Unionist/Loyalist voices vehemently opposed to Casement are already making noises about the fleadh coming north. This is the mindset most posters outside Ulster haven't a clue about because they have never lived it.

Ulsterman (Antrim) - Posts: 9816 - 13/03/2025 20:31:20    2596297

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Replying To Ulsterman:  "Fleadh Cheoil is coming to Belfast next year. Some of the Unionist/Loyalist voices vehemently opposed to Casement are already making noises about the fleadh coming north. This is the mindset most posters outside Ulster haven't a clue about because they have never lived it."
Still waiting for you the address the point made about the actual cost of the whole thing?

oneoff (UK) - Posts: 1550 - 13/03/2025 21:30:12    2596299

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Replying To Ulsterman:  "Fleadh Cheoil is coming to Belfast next year. Some of the Unionist/Loyalist voices vehemently opposed to Casement are already making noises about the fleadh coming north. This is the mindset most posters outside Ulster haven't a clue about because they have never lived it."
Another example of Antrim's inability to provide or maintain a decent county ground being conflated with all sorts of other things.

Roll eyes emoji.

Pikeman96 (Wexford) - Posts: 2800 - 13/03/2025 22:35:25    2596304

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Replying To Square_B:  "Hold on a second, Jarleth Burns is on record stating that the stadium can be developed for around £260mil (https://www.rte.ie/news/ulster/2025/0211/1496139-casement-park-rebuild/). A figure of £270mil is mentioned in the article. I haven't seen any commentary about any other cost so I'm not sure why you've brought the DUP into this when it's Westminster who won't foot the funding shortfall or at least given us a figure which Westminster have brought to the table.

Bottom line is that a stadium can be developed but one which accounts for the funding already available & perhaps a bit more. The Gtech soccer stadium in Brentford (18k all seater) was developed for c70mil on a tighter site. Granted before Covid but the point is, a slimmed down stadium, less seating & more terraces can be developed. A Breffni Park type stadium with an enhanced main stand & corporate facilities."
You don't think that the British government liaise with northern politicians? Some of them would need a bloody compass to find the 6 counties without them, given their lack of regard for the place. Ulster chairman Frank McAvoy is on record recently saying that the two parties I mentioned had 'wildly exaggerated' the cost. Anyways, we are going round in circles besides all this. Building a stadium and putting this nonsense to bed once and for all would be fantastic but I'm long past optimism with it all.

SaffronDon (Antrim) - Posts: 2557 - 14/03/2025 06:16:54    2596309

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Replying To Seanfanbocht:  "Politics or not it was a totally stupid thing to do."
So we agree on something? Fantastic!

SaffronDon (Antrim) - Posts: 2557 - 14/03/2025 06:32:58    2596310

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Replying To PeterQ92:  "More modest and affordable than West Belfast? How would that make sense, when they have a site already.
They'd have to purchase another site and start again.. surely that's not viable?"
The same site but at a less costly version of it all, is what I was saying.

SaffronDon (Antrim) - Posts: 2557 - 14/03/2025 06:34:46    2596311

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Replying To SaffronDon:  "The same site but at a less costly version of it all, is what I was saying."
Ah right ok. Yes I would assume that has to now be the plan.
Bigoted unionism are just letting the planning clock run down.. just cos they can. Stakeholders should not let that happen.

PeterQ92 (Donegal) - Posts: 145 - 14/03/2025 09:06:49    2596319

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Replying To Pikeman96:  "I think what Ulster GAA said was more along the lines that the figures previously quoted by those others are now excessive, since the stadium no longer has to be built to UEFA standards, and can therefore be done for a lower price. That's different to suggesting that the figures were hugely and deliberately exaggerated.

And before anybody accuses me of defending the DUP or 'the Brits' again, think of it this way instead - I'm actually defending Ulster GAA, by trying to represent what they actually said, rather than somebody's misinterpretation of it."
Why quote your own version or try to mind read. The article from Brian McAvoy of the Ulster GAA said that previous statements have been 'wildly exaggerated' his words, not mine or my interpretation. The Ulster GAA and the nationalist people of the north have dealt a lot more with the DUP, the British government and their ideology plans than you ever will. If you aren't defending them, you still clearly don't know much about how they operate things here, it hasn't changed much from their divide and conquer tactics of the past. But I'm sure you have all the real answers down there in Wexford.

SaffronDon (Antrim) - Posts: 2557 - 14/03/2025 10:09:45    2596327

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Replying To Pikeman96:  "Another example of Antrim's inability to provide or maintain a decent county ground being conflated with all sorts of other things.

Roll eyes emoji."
Go and educate yourself a bit. Antrim had no control over the Casement project. It came from a lot higher powers than Antrim GAA. You just sound like that other troll from the UK at this stage.

SaffronDon (Antrim) - Posts: 2557 - 14/03/2025 10:16:29    2596329

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Replying To SaffronDon:  "Go and educate yourself a bit. Antrim had no control over the Casement project. It came from a lot higher powers than Antrim GAA. You just sound like that other troll from the UK at this stage."
That's why I don't reply to them. They haven't got the first clue about the North apart from the Unionist claptrap RTE and the Indo feed them.

Ulsterman (Antrim) - Posts: 9816 - 14/03/2025 10:48:19    2596335

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Replying To Ulsterman:  "That's why I don't reply to them. They haven't got the first clue about the North apart from the Unionist claptrap RTE and the Indo feed them."
You don't reply because you know you argument will be easily countered, that's why.

Square_B (Leitrim) - Posts: 1238 - 14/03/2025 10:59:41    2596336

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Replying To Ulsterman:  "That's why I don't reply to them. They haven't got the first clue about the North apart from the Unionist claptrap RTE and the Indo feed them."
You do reply through. You just throw your toys out of the pram when people don't agree with you.

oneoff (UK) - Posts: 1550 - 14/03/2025 11:10:21    2596338

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