[belfastuniguy]

Casement Park (Irish: Páirc Mhic Easmainn) is the principal Gaelic Athletic Association stadium in Belfast, Northern Ireland, home to the Antrim football and hurling teams. Located on the Andersonstown Road in the west of the city, and named after the Republican revolutionary Sir Roger Casement (1864-1916), the ground has a capacity of 32,600.

Casement Park, one of the largest stadia in Ulster, opened in June 1953, with Armagh Harps defeating St John’s of Antrim in the final of the inaugural Ulster Senior Club Football Championship. The newly opened Casement Park hosted the Ulster Championship final less than a month later, which saw Armagh overcome reigning All-Ireland champions Cavan.

In 2006, proposals were raised to build a new multi-purpose stadium on the site of the old Maze prison near Lisburn, which was intended to host soccer, rugby union and Gaelic games. However, opposition to the idea led to it being dropped in favour of a new venue in the Sydenham area of East Belfast. This led to Ulster GAA, which was one of the partners in the Maze project, to pull out in favour of remaining at Casement Park.

In 2011, the Northern Ireland Executive announced that it had granted £138m for various stadium redevelopment projects throughout Northern Ireland. Ulster GAA would receive £61.4m of this, which was to be used to redevelop Casement Park into a 40,000 all-seated stadium with £15 million of partnership investment from the Central Council of the GAA, making it the largest stadium in Ulster.

In early 2012 it was announced that the redevelopment work would start at the end of 2013; this was expected to last two years with a view to having the new stadium open by September 2015. It was expected that, after its completion, Ulster GAA would move its headquarters from St Tiernach's Park in Clones to Casement Park,which would then have a seating capacity of about 40,000.

The planning application was lodged on June 19th 2013

The re-development of Casement Park to provide a 38,000 seated capacity GAA Stadium, comprising: demolition of the existing facilities; construction of new pitch and stands, incorporating bar/restaurant and ancillary kitchen areas, conference, training and community facilities, including handball courts, ancillary offices, player accommodation and welfare facilities, press/media and broadcast facilities; replacement floodlighting, stadium/event management suite, ground support facilities including electronic display installations, facilities associated with ground maintenance; enhanced access arrangements; coach parking; underground car parking; remediation/replacement of site boundaries; hard and soft landscaping.

http://epicpublic.planningni.gov.uk/PublicAccess/zd/zdApplication/application_detailview.aspx?caseno=MOOUH6SV30000

Current stadium

Proposal

 

[belfastuniguy]

Planning application lodged in June

http://epicpublic.planningni.gov.uk/PublicAccess/zd/zdApplication/application_detailview.aspx?caseno=MOOUH6SV30000

....

Ulster GAA chiefs face legal challenge over £70m Casement Park redevelopment

Two construction companies whose combined bid to win the contract was unsuccessful have launched High Court proceedings in attempt to get back into the tendering process.

Papers were lodged on behalf of Lagan Somague, a joint venture involving firms from Northern Ireland and Portugal.

A new stadium is due to be built on the existing Casement site in west Belfast at a cost expected to top £70m.

Most of the funding is coming from the NI Executive through the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure (DCAL).

The redevelopment forms part of an overall £110m investment plan involving upgrades to the Ulster rugby ground at Ravenhill and Windsor Park football stadium.

A legal challenge by local soccer club Crusaders to the Windsor Park proposals is ongoing.

Now, however, proceedings have been brought against the GAA's Ulster Council.

The case is expected to centre on its duty as a contracting authority under European procurement regulations.

Lawyers for Lagan Somague are expected to argue that they have been wrongly knocked out of the tendering process.

An initial hearing is expected to take place in court next week.

 

[belfastuniguy]

Thought I'd be good to have this as a separate thread and post updates regarding the progress and hopefully eventual construction here.

 

[citybus]

Rumour has it that the pitch is infected with Japanese Knot weed, an invasive species which is notoriously hard to eradicate.

Hope the new stadium has a high proportion of terraces to seats. And although these houses have generous sized gardens, methinks they might lose more than a little light.

 

[belfastuniguy]

Residents challenge GAA's Casement Park redevelopment

A west Belfast residents group has launched a formal objection to the proposed new 38-000 seater GAA stadium at Casement Park.

The Mooreland and Owenvarragh Residents Association have given a petition and letter of objection to the Department of Environment.

Work on the stadium is due to start in early 2014, with a view to hosting GAA fixtures at the ground by 2016. But the residents group said the proposed new stadium is too big.

They describe it as a "monstrosity" and claim it will reduce the quality of life of people living beside it.

Challenge

But GAA chiefs said it will enhance west Belfast socially and economically. The stadium has yet to gain final planning approval. The cost of the new state of the art stadium is expected to top £70m. Most of the funding is coming from the Northern Ireland Executive through the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure (DCAL).

The redevelopment forms part of an overall £110m investment plan involving upgrades to the Ulster rugby ground at Ravenhill and Windsor Park football stadium. A legal challenge by soccer club Crusaders to the Windsor Park proposals is ongoing.

 

[odlum833]

I know I keep saying it but the GAA could teach the IRFU/IFA/FAI a few lessons in good stadia and infrastructure.

This looks like a class, proportionate proposal and it's no surprise it comes from the GAA to be perfectly honest (the so called amateur administration).

 

[belfastuniguy]

I know I keep saying it but the GAA could teach the IRFU/IFA/FAI a few lessons in good stadia and infrastructure.

This looks like a class, proportionate proposal and it's no surprise it comes from the GAA to be perfectly honest (the so called amateur administration).

It's a great proposal apart from that ridiculous open terrace.

 

[oon27]

It's a great proposal apart from that ridiculous open terrace.

I still don't get why they are doing that. :bash:

 

[Ripper_Roo_NI]

Sadly, the terrace is something that is becoming a thing of the past in this day of over the top H&S-jobsworth restrictions. Some of my best memories of Irish League football games were when I stood on terracing Seaview - I can also remember a Boxing Day game at Windsor a few years ago where so many fans packed into the ground they were forced to open the terracing to supporters in front of the South Stand.

The terracing is something that should be allowed to remain - plenty of Stadia in Germany use terracing big high profiles games and events.

 

[belfastuniguy]

Sadly, the terrace is something that is becoming a thing of the past in this day of over the top H&S-jobsworth restrictions. Some of my best memories of Irish League football games were when I stood on terracing Seaview - I can also remember a Boxing Day game at Windsor a few years ago where so many fans packed into the ground they were forced to open the terracing to supporters in front of the South Stand.

The terracing is something that should be allowed to remain - plenty of Stadia in Germany use terracing big high profiles games and events.

I don't have an issue with the terrace itself, just the lack of a roof.

 

[ZKB9]

Stunning stadium, but the renders make it look really huge and disproportionate compared to the nearby houses.

 

[thebig C]

I don't have an issue with the terrace itself, just the lack of a roof.

DITTO. Looks great, which makes the lack of a roof on what is arguably the less restricted end all the more illogical.

C

 

[belfastuniguy]

Legal challenge over £70m Casement Park redevelopment 'is settled'

A legal challenge over the planned £70 million redevelopment of Casement Park GAA Stadium has been settled, it emerged today.

Two construction companies whose combined bid to win the contract was unsuccessful had commenced High Court proceedings in an attempt to get back into the tendering process.

But a judge was told today that their action against the GAA's Ulster Council has now been resolved on a confidential basis.

No further details were disclosed during a brief hearing before Mr Justice Horner.

Papers had been lodged on behalf of Lagan Somague, a joint venture involving firms from Northern Ireland and Portugal.

A new stadium is due to be built on the existing Casement site in west Belfast at a cost expected to top £70m.

Most of the funding is coming from the NI Executive through the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure (DCAL).

The redevelopment forms part of an overall £110m investment plan involving upgrades to the Ulster rugby ground at Ravenhill and Windsor Park football stadium.

The case was expected to centre on the Ulster Council's duty as a contracting authority under European procurement regulations.

Lawyers for Lagan Somague were set to argue they have been wrongly knocked out of the tendering process.

But their case will not be proceedings following confirmation of the settlement.

 

[PeteC]

Has there been any movement on Casement? I know the legal dispute with the contractors has been settled but what about the challenge from residents? I read somewhere about Musgrave Park being looked at as an alternative, is that a runner? Looking at it on Google maps it looks like an ideal location for the stadium, no residents, better access from the M1 and rail access too. What is the situation regarding ownership?

 

[belfastuniguy]

Has there been any movement on Casement? I know the legal dispute with the contractors has been settled but what about the challenge from residents? I read somewhere about Musgrave Park being looked at as an alternative, is that a runner? Looking at it on Google maps it looks like an ideal location for the stadium, no residents, better access from the M1 and rail access too. What is the situation regarding ownership?

It's still under planning consideration.

 

[belfastuniguy]

^^

Scrap that :lol:

Casement Park scheme set to get planning approval

Plans to transform Casement Park into a modern 38,000-seater stadium are expected to be approved on Thursday.

Residents from the Andersonstown Road area of west Belfast had objected to the scale of the rebuilding scheme. But Environment Minister Mark H Durkan is understood to have agreed to the £76m project going ahead. Work on the stadium is due to start in early next year and and the GAA's Ulster Council hopes matches can be played there from 2016.

The Ulster Council said a 38,000 capacity was needed for the staging of Ulster Senior football finals and All-Ireland quarter-finals. However, a residents' group argued that the scheme was too ambitious and should be scaled down to a smaller capacity. They will have to decide whether to mount a legal challenge to the anticipated planning decision. The redevelopment of Casement Park is part of the government's policy to upgrade the three major sports grounds in Belfast - football's Windsor Park, Ulster's rugby ground at Ravenhill and the Gaelic Games stadium at Casement. Two new stands have already been constructed at Ravenhill, and the final one is nearing completion.

Work on modernising Windsor Park, the home of Irish League club Linfield and the Northern Ireland international team, has been approved but has yet to get underway.

 

[belfastuniguy]

 

[odlum833]

Very nice. Good design.

 

[thebig C]

Looks greeeat!! Another plus for Belfast.

Still can't fathom why they are leaving one end uncovered, particularly as its the end with no overshadowing issues!

C

 

[Boba Fett22]

How much of the Bill are GAA footing?

And also off topic any news on the Blanchflower stadium?

Edit: Just saw in BUGs post about Windsor, maybe Blanchflower in a non runner.