ANTRIM GAA RECEIVED a major boost today with confirmation of formal planning permission for the redevelopment of Casement Park.
The project has suffered a number of setbacks over the years. Planning permission for a 38,000 capacity ground was granted back in 2013, but those plans were later scrapped and a new proposal announced in 2017 also struggled to get up and running as costs soared.
But the GAA has now announced that construction for the redevelopment project is set to commence in the first half of 2022 and is expected to be a two-year build.
Tom Daly, Chairperson of the Casement Park Stadium Development Project Board, described the announcement as a “momentous” milestone.
The new stadium will have a capacity of 34,578, and has been developed by the architects who designed the Aviva Stadium, the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium, and will include a range of mixed-use facilities.
“This a hugely significant announcement in the timeline for Antrim’s new home and Ulster’s new provincial stadium and I would like to thank Gaels throughout Ulster and Ireland, for their patience, commitment and unwavering support since our application was submitted in 2017,” Daly said.
“Casement Park is a now a live catalyst for the development of Gaelic Games and it will not only host some of the largest, most significant and exciting sporting occasions on this island, but it will also be a venue that GAA clubs, schools and community organisations will access and use.
“With a strong community focus, the project will create employment opportunities, increase footfall, support local business eco systems and supply chains and it will significantly add to the vibrant cultural and arts heritage that exists in West Belfast and across the city.
“The combined impact of the construction phase of the project and its operations when complete, will leave a lasting sporting, economic, health and cultural legacy for many generations to come.”
Brian McEvoy, Chief Executive of Ulster GAA added, “With planning permission granted we are now looking forward confidently to the construction phase with a clear pathway for the project’s delivery.”
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