Uefa soccer officials have paid a visit to Casement Park ahead of work getting underway to build a new stadium to host Euro 2028 matches.
A delegation from the sports governing body, which oversees the European Championships, took a tour of the west Belfast GAA grounds on Wednesday.
The site has been derelict since 2013, but a future 34,500-seater stadium, on which ground has yet to be broken, has been chosen as one of only two Irish venues to host games during the UK and Ireland’s joint hosting of the Euros in just four years time.
It is hoped that construction of the stadium can begin in earnest when the British government commits to funding for the long-awaited project, to which the Irish government is to contribute €50m through Shared Island funding.
The GAA has earmarked £15m, while Stormont is to pay £62.5m, however the final cost of the stadium remains unknown, despite claims the price tag could be as high as £200m.
Earlier this month, preliminary work finally got underway at Casement Park, with clearing taking place at the site in order that construction can begin immediately once all funding is secured and contractors agreed.
Ahead of officials arriving to view the grounds, a Uefa spokesperson said it was to be a “technical site visit to discuss solutions jointly as it’s in the common interest of all stakeholders that the project can go ahead”.
The officials were met with representatives of both the GAA and the Irish Football Association.
On leaving west Belfast, one Uefa official offered his thoughts on Casement Park, telling a UTV reporter: “It’s a nice plot of land but a lot to do.”
