Rebuilding Casement Park as Euros venue would be ‘huge opportunity’, O’Neill says

The North's First Minister Michelle O’Neill has expressed the importance of getting a new stadium built at Casement Park for Euro 2028 as diggers moved onto the site.

The derelict GAA ground in west Belfast has been earmarked as a venue for the soccer tournament.

However, uncertainty remains over the funding for it following reports that suggested it could cost £308 million (€360 million).

In 2011, the Stormont Executive committed £62.5 million to the project.

Last month, the Irish Government offered £40 million towards it, and the GAA has said it will contribute £15 million.

The British government reportedly has reservations around plugging the remaining funding gap.

Work was underway on Thursday to clear the concrete terracing.

Speaking during a joint visit to Washington DC with deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly, Ms O’Neill described having a Euro venue in the North as a “huge opportunity”, describing sport as “something that unites us all”.

Asked were they seeking potential investors for the project during the US visit, Ms O’Neill said: “Obviously, Casement is something that I want to see delivered, I think it’s so so important that we get that project, the stadia built particularly given its role within the wider Euro bid.

“It’s a huge opportunity for us and sport should be something that unites us all in our society, and it’s about building first class facilities for across all sporting codes, so I am determined to see Casement built, but this week is about investment, it’s about drumming up trade, it’s about telling people we’re open for business and it’s about encouraging those investors to come to our part of the world because we have something really strong to offer.”

Ms Little-Pengelly added: “These