Northern Ireland’s Minister for Infrastructure Nichola Mallon has announced that she is recommending approval of a redevelopment plan for the Casement Park GAA stadium in Belfast
Over 11 years ago Ulster GAA first unveiled plans to build a major new provincial stadium and then confirmed Casement Park in West Belfast as the preferred venue
Planning approval for a 38,000-seat stadium was given in 2013, but a year later that approval was overturned in a High Court legal challenge brought by some residents
Further setbacks occurred in 2015 when a security expert claimed the planned stadium could not be safely evacuated in some emergency situations and a report revealed ‘broken’ relationships in the backstage
In 2017 Ulster GAA presented new plans, including reducing stadium capacity from 38,000 to 34,000
« Good news for GAA in Ulster, » Jarlath Burns says as Casement Park refurbishment gets green light #RTEGAA #RTESport picTwittercom / Y4ojz6qKEl
« This application has been complex and it took a very, very long time to develop, » Mallon said
« I have carefully considered all of the performances and believe it will be a historic stadium, it will be transformative for the Gaelic Games, it will be transformative in terms of the economy of West Belfast and Belfast more generally and I believe it will be truly transformational in sporting terms, in social terms, in economic terms for all of Ulster «
Deputy Prime Minister Michelle O’Neill tweeted: « More than ten years since the announcement of the Casement Park project and more than seven years since Antrim Gaels had a house We finally have a planning decision on the line Excellent result «
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Casement Park, Gaelic Athletic Association, Nichola Mallon, Belfast, Northern Ireland, Antrim GAA, Ulster GAA
News from around the world – UK – Reconstruction of Casement Park gets green light from the NI Minister
