AFTER seven years of legal wrangling and planning rows, a massive hurdle was cleared with the news that planning had been approved for a new, 34,578-capacity Casement Park. However, £30million needs to be found to complete the project.
No-one was more delighted with yesterday's announcement by Minister Nichola Mallon than Antrim County Board chairman Ciaran McCavana but he warned that "we're not out of the woods just yet".
Despite his reservations, McCavana is confident that work will begin on the west Belfast venue after the 90-day consultation period and that games will be played there in the 2023 season.
"It's a smiley-face day," said McCavana.
"We're not out of the woods yet because we've had planning approval before and it was scuppered. But hopefully we'll get the diggers in there in 90 days and have it built in two and-a-half years. That's the plan.
"Once it starts to take shape people will see the magnitude of it and how modern and outstanding it's going to be and it will lift their hearts."
The last Ulster Championship match played at Casement was in 2013 and since then the padlocked stadium has deteriorated into a crumbling eyesore on the Andersonstown Road. Stage one of finally beginning it's redevelopment came when Minister Mallon passed the planning application but the delays in starting work have pushed the projected costs from £77million up to £110 million. That means a shortfall of over £30million needs to be bridged.
"We'll be getting down to that now," said McCavana.
"The GAA has put in £15million to date (the Northern Executive originally pledged £62million). We are going to sit down with the government to see if there is additional money there and, remember, this is for the whole of Ulster. It is a nine-county project. People talked about the shared-island project so wouldn't this be a great thing for the government in Dublin to support.
"Why not? This is for the nine counties of Ulster, not six. If Micheal Martin wants to put his money where his mouth is, why doesn't he work with his colleagues in Stormont and get us across the line.
"It's not an investment in Antrim GAA, or Ulster GAA or the GAA at all, it's an investment in Belfast, the second city in Ireland," he added.
"It's going to be a gateway project. When you drive up the motorway, the first thing visitors to the city are going to see is a state-of-the-art, modern stadium.
"That gives people a perception that they are coming into a modern, forward-thinking city. I think it's an investment for the North and the country as a whole."
When it is completed, the stadium will be the biggest sporting stadium, not just in Belfast, but in Ulster and, personally, McCavana wouldn't rule out opening it to other sports.
"Wouldn't it be great some day, if Northern Ireland or Ulster Rugby are stuck for a venue, that the GAA could put their hands across the venue and say: 'Come and use our venue to get your gate up?'" he mused.
Three years ago, McCavana's daughters asked him what the floodlights just off the motorway were for as they drove along the M1.
"What's that daddy?" she enquired and when he told her it was Casement his daughter - who was well-versed on the GAA - asked: "What's Casement?"
He told her: "That's Antrim's ground" and that is when he decided to become involved in bringing the Casement dream to a reality. Yesterday was the start of that and, while having a new stadium won't kick the ball over the bar for Antrim, it is sure to benefit Gaelic Games in the county.
"Antrim has been going in the right direction for a few years," said McCavana.
"Today we have had great news about Casement, this Saturday our footballers can put a foot in Division Three is they win and on Sunday our senior hurlers can go back to the top table in hurling if they win the Division 2A final.
"As well as that, we are four-to-six weeks away from completing a £1million stand in Corrigan Park. So there is a lot happening in Antrim and a lot of positives.
"Building Casement won't put the ball over the bar but it will be an aspirational thing for children to play there, it will be a game-changer because it will showcase the professionalism of the GAA, not just in Antrim, but throughout the country."
