Calls to ‘get Casement Park built’ ahead of Euro 2028 tournament

The redevelopment of Casement Park must proceed as soon as possible with Ireland and the UK set to host the Euro 2028 football tournament, nationalist and Alliance politicians have said.

But the DUP has said there can be no blank cheque from public money to rebuild the Belfast GAA stadium.

The five-nation bid is now the only option on the table for the 2028 finals after Turkey pulled out of contention.

Uefa will formally announce the hosts following a meeting of its executive committee in Switzerland next week.

If the UK and Irish bid is accepted, Casement Park has been listed as one of the stadiums where games would 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 Casement project has been delayed by a series of legal challenges and is further complicated by the lack of a functioning Executive at Stormont.

I am absolutely delighted that Casement Park looks set to host Euro 2028 Championship games as the joint bid between Ireland and Britain is to go unopposed.

This is an opportunity of a lifetime.

The hosting of this prestigious tournament would grow our economy, create jobs,… pic.twitter.com/RcbcfvypRS

— Michelle O’Neill (@moneillsf) October 4, 2023

The redevelopment has also been hit by rising costs, with an original projected price tag from almost a decade ago of £77.5 million, now believed to have spiralled well above £100 million.

The GAA is part-funding the project but has yet to reach an agreement with Stormont on how to cover a multimillion-pound shortfall.

Sinn Féin’s Stormont leader Michelle O’Neill said it was the “opportunity of a lifetime”.

In a social media post, she said: “I am absolutely delighted that