REDEVELOPMENT WORK ON the Casement Park stadium in west Belfast is set to start next week.

In a statement released today, Ulster GAA announced that it will commence “necessary maintenance and pre-enabling works,” which will continue throughout March, on the site from the week beginning Monday, 19 February.

Activity will be focused on initial ground works, with site clearance following suit from April to June, including the removal of the old terracing.

European football’s governing body, Uefa, confirmed last year that Ireland and the UK will jointly host the Euro 2028 football tournament.

The Aviva Stadium will host games in the Republic of Ireland.

As part of the successful bid, Casement Park has been also listed as one of the stadiums where games will be played.

But the site is derelict and plans by the GAA to redevelop it with a 34,000 capacity have been mired in controversy and hit by delays.

The project has been been delayed by a series of legal challenges and was further complicated by the lack of a functioning Executive at Stormont for two years.

The redevelopment has also been hit by rising costs, with an original projected price tag of £77.5 million (€91 million) now believed to have spiralled well above £100 million (€117.5 million).

The UK and Irish governments have indicated they are prepared to offer additional funding.

Funding for the redevelopment remains a “big difficulty,” Stormont’s new Communities Minister Gordon Lyons said this week.

Ulster GAA has announced that it will commence necessary maintenance and pre-enabling works ahead of the development works for the new @CasementPark🏟️

Read more here 👉https://t.co/8V3adm0vLC pic.twitter.com/byeNwsekei

— Ulster GAA (@UlsterGAA) February 15, 2024

“The Department for Communities (DfC) is leading the procurement of the main construction contract for the project through UK Government frameworks for major strategic infrastructure projects,” Ulster GAA’s statement adds.

Ulster GAA Stadium Board Chairman Tom Daly commented: “Commencing works on site has always been a crucial milestone for the redevelopment of Casement Park and we are looking forward to this exciting new phase of the project with a targeted timeline for the delivery of Ulster GAA’s provincial stadium and Antrim’s new home.

“It has been a long and frustrating journey to get to this point, however this is an important step forward as we prepare for the delivery phase of the project. Casement Park will host some of the largest and most significant GAA games on the island and it will also be a seven-day-a-week hub that the whole community can access and enjoy.

“With Casement Park being the only regional venue that can host unique global events such as Euro 2028, we are also delighted to support our friends and colleagues at the Irish FA by providing the stadium as a tournament venue for the bid and we are excited by the opportunities that this will create for all of society.”

“With works commencing on site next week we will be working with the local community to ensure that they are fully informed on every step of the journey,” Daly added.

“As our team commences this phase of the project, we would like to thank the local community for their support and patience over the last number of years as we plan for an exciting new future for Casement Park.”

Additional reporting by Hayley Halpin

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