Funding:Three landmark sports grounds in Belfast linked to Gaelic games, soccer and rugby are to benefit from a £138 million (€160m) refurbishment package approved by Stormont ministers.
The Northern Ireland Executive has agreed the investment that will see the GAA’s Casement Park in west Belfast get £61.4m (€71m), with £14.7m (€17m) for Ravenhill rugby ground in the south of the city and £25.2m (€29m) for soccer’s Windsor Park.
There are also plans for an additional figure of around £36m (€41.7m) to go to benefit Irish League soccer grounds under the long-awaited investment scheme.
Northern Ireland Sports Minister Nelson McCausland said: “Today’s (Thursday) Executive approval represents an important step forward in rectifying the long-standing deficit in stadium provision in Northern Ireland.
“I consider that advancing these proposals will secure he long-term future of international football, rugby and Gaelic Games. This major investment is great news for our economy and in particular for our local construction sector.”
The work will see the grounds modernise and increase capacity as part of their separate ambitious plans.
Aogan O Fearghail, Ulster Council GAA president welcomed the announcement.
“The Ulster Council is pleased that after several years of work by the Stadium Project Board led by Tom Daly as Chairman and Danny Murphy as provincial director, we now have a real level of commitment around the future funding for the Casement Park project."
The IRFU Ulster Branch also welcomed the news in a brief statement: “We are very grateful to the Executive, Minister Nelson McCausland, Sport NI, all political parties, the GAA and the IFA for their assistance, as we have worked tirelessly to deliver a result for all three sports.
“This will bring tremendous benefits to Ulster Rugby in terms of its ambitions in European rugby and will also bring many benefits to the game at grass roots level.
“This funding will allow us to move towards our vision of becoming a major force in European rugby with first class facilities at Ravenhill and a thriving club game throughout Ulster,” added Nigel Hamilton, Ulster branch president.
The Minister added: “Modern, fit-for-purpose and spectator-friendly stadium facilities can only enhance the sports’ standing and will assist the development of the three sports from grassroots right up to international levels.
“Although our primary focus has been on the development of the main regional stadiums it is plain that football clubs in Northern Ireland face substantial difficulties due to systemically low and dwindling attendances largely due to the poor facilities at grounds.
“This needs to be rectified and I am particularly pleased that the Executive have endorsed proposals to tackle this deficit as a priority, alongside the development of the three main stadiums.”
The cash injection follows the failure to build a multi-sport stadium at the site of the former Maze prison after which the Executive pledged to instead plough the money into developing grounds already held by the three sporting codes.
Although welcomed by the governing and sporting bodies concerned, others were left feeling short-changed. The Ulster branch of Tennis Ireland and those involved at the Mary Peters athletics facility, for example, voiced their disappointment on BBC Radio Ulster this morning.