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ANTRIM NOT BACKING DOWN

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The row over the Ulster Senior Championship tie rumbles on. Antrim were drawn out to play Armagh in the Quarter Final at home in Corrigan Park in Belfast. The Ulster Council want to move the game to Newry. They say it's for Health & Safety but everybody knows it's about money. Antrim Gaels are holding firm. We want a home tie. This whole farce exposes the scandal of Casement Park not being redeveloped basically because the DUP are holding it up. Ulsterman (Antrim) - Posts: 9805 - 07/03/2025 10:08:01 2595180 Link
Fair play to them. Stand up. This game will either be played in Corrigan Pk or not all. It will not be played in Newry. MesAmis (Dublin) - Posts: 13791 - 07/03/2025 10:49:31 2595184 Link
Replying To MesAmis: "Fair play to them. Stand up. This game will either be played in Corrigan Pk or not all. It will not be played in Newry." Hopefully it will bring the scandal of Casement Park out into the arena now. Ravenhill, Windsor Park, Dundonald Ice Bowl all received multi millions for redevelopment. The IFA is to get a multi million pound facility outside Ballymena for the NI senior, womens and junior soccer teams and good luck to all of them. I and many others have absolutely no objection to these other sports getting funding. However once Casement Park raises it's head the Unionist political and media Establishment go into automatic opposition overdrive. It's pure sectarian bigotry and enough is enough. Ulsterman (Antrim) - Posts: 9805 - 07/03/2025 11:50:31 2595200 Link
I don't post much on here now but just wanted to post the vast majority of Armagh gaels are fully supportive of Antrim's stance. The more this issue is brought into the media the better, time to build Casement. sean og (Armagh) - Posts: 1072 - 07/03/2025 11:59:44 2595203 Link
Antrim GAA have 51 clubs, 11 hurling , 15 Football and 25 dual. There's a nationalist population of 200K. compare this to Co. Monaghan with a population of 65k and 29 clubs. Monaghan gaa have a 5 pitch gaa centre of excellence in Clogan, centrally located , Clones , Inniskeen and Castleblayney all capable of host National league and ulster championship games with capacities ranging from 8k to 30k. Antrim gaa need to take responsibility for this , they have sat on their behinds for the last 20 years , they haven't invested in infrastructure. there has been million of EU and good Friday agreement money available for upgrading facilities . a poorly run county board, I listen to numerous pod casts and read articles about how Gaelic football is run in Antrim with regard under age structures and fixtures. I have seen Down Gaa, Fermanagh , Armagh and derry all upgrade and invest in their training facilities. with fundraising draws ect. never heard a chirp from Antrim. latefortraining (Monaghan) - Posts: 127 - 07/03/2025 12:12:51 2595208 Link
Replying To Ulsterman: "Hopefully it will bring the scandal of Casement Park out into the arena now. Ravenhill, Windsor Park, Dundonald Ice Bowl all received multi millions for redevelopment. The IFA is to get a multi million pound facility outside Ballymena for the NI senior, womens and junior soccer teams and good luck to all of them. I and many others have absolutely no objection to these other sports getting funding. However once Casement Park raises it's head the Unionist political and media Establishment go into automatic opposition overdrive. It's pure sectarian bigotry and enough is enough." Yeah it really is the most backward, unprogressive BS from the usual eejits. Belfast is a fantastic city, and you'd think the addition of a sparkling new, fit-for-purpose stadium would be welcomed and enjoyed by all. Hopefully the good Gaels of Antrim will have their new Casement before long, and those miserable dinosaurs can just stay away from it if it upsets them that much. Lockjaw (Donegal) - Posts: 9627 - 07/03/2025 12:24:52 2595211 Link
Replying To Ulsterman: "Hopefully it will bring the scandal of Casement Park out into the arena now. Ravenhill, Windsor Park, Dundonald Ice Bowl all received multi millions for redevelopment. The IFA is to get a multi million pound facility outside Ballymena for the NI senior, womens and junior soccer teams and good luck to all of them. I and many others have absolutely no objection to these other sports getting funding. However once Casement Park raises it's head the Unionist political and media Establishment go into automatic opposition overdrive. It's pure sectarian bigotry and enough is enough." The GAA **** up on Casement. Why on earth did they close the place down before Planning permission was received???? Seanfanbocht (Roscommon)** - Posts: 2116 - 07/03/2025 12:43:06 2595217 Link
100% correct. County Board backing their team. All this guff and pretence about health and safety. Let's call a spade a spade - the health of the gate receipts are of ultimate concern here, nothing else. Passer_By (Carlow) - Posts: 527 - 07/03/2025 12:52:30 2595220 Link
Replying To Seanfanbocht: "The GAA **** up on Casement. Why on earth did they close the place down before Planning permission was received????" Irrespective of what the GAA or residents did or didn't do, and yes there are legitimate criticisms there, the fact is that the DUP are blocking the redevelopment of Casement because of sheer sectarian bigotry. That is an undeniable fact. Ulsterman (Antrim)** - Posts: 9805 - 07/03/2025 13:12:23 2595224 Link
Replying To Ulsterman: "Irrespective of what the GAA or residents did or didn't do, and yes there are legitimate criticisms there, the fact is that the DUP are blocking the redevelopment of Casement because of sheer sectarian bigotry. That is an undeniable fact." However Stormont committed £62m. Have they blocked that? Seanfanbocht (Roscommon) - Posts: 2116 - 07/03/2025 13:52:11 2595231 Link
There's talk of an equality march being arranged from the site of Casement to Belfast City Hall. Ulsterman (Antrim) - Posts: 9805 - 07/03/2025 13:54:05 2595232 Link
Replying To Ulsterman: "Irrespective of what the GAA or residents did or didn't do, and yes there are legitimate criticisms there, the fact is that the DUP are blocking the redevelopment of Casement because of sheer sectarian bigotry. That is an undeniable fact." Yes, that's an undeniable fact. But the Monaghan man above has a point. Ulster GAA and particularly Antrim GAA aren't exactly blameless here too. Sometimes looking in the mirror is the hardest thing. If Casement Park hadn't become so dilapidated through so many years of neglect, the upgrade needed wouldn't have been so vast or expensive in the first place. There's approx. £120 million available to the project that doesn't depend on UK Government funding that the DUP can kick up about. That sort of money would do a hell of a job on most county grounds. Similarly, it's been open to Antrim GAA all along to develop Corrigan Park as a second county ground, but am unaware of any efforts to ever actually do so. Pikeman96 (Wexford) - Posts: 2741 - 07/03/2025 14:11:24 2595240 Link
The big boys in the GAA never learn do they. But something tells me this is a ploy to drum up publicity for the championship and nothing more. Do something controversial, get the media interested and eventually the game will be in Belfast. Because the product on the field certainly wouldn't entice publicity boxtyburgerbuns (Leitrim) - Posts: 160 - 07/03/2025 14:12:43 2595241 Link
Well done Antrim. All Gaels are behind your stance! The glorious disaster that is Casement Park must now be dealt with once and for all. Politicians north and south along with the GAA must now act. A generation of Antrim gaels have never had a home ground, it's shocking stuff. PeterQ92 (Donegal) - Posts: 131 - 07/03/2025 15:09:56 2595257 Link
Antrim are dead right. Corrigian Park or nowhere! Ollie2 (Louth) - Posts: 988 - 07/03/2025 15:15:50 2595259 Link
Antrim GAA have no one to blame but themselves for this mess. Casement Park could have been easily retained until a new stadium was approved. Armagh themselves had to play away from the Athletic Grounds for many years whilst their ground was being upgraded. Leitrim played home games last year in Longford whilst our own pitch was being updated. Antrim might be better off concentrating on what they could do to put in a performance against Armagh as they sure as hell will not be winning this game no matter where it's staged. Square_B (Leitrim) - Posts: 1182 - 07/03/2025 15:15:54 2595260 Link
Replying To boxtyburgerbuns: "The big boys in the GAA never learn do they. But something tells me this is a ploy to drum up publicity for the championship and nothing more. Do something controversial, get the media interested and eventually the game will be in Belfast. Because the product on the field certainly wouldn't entice publicity" I doubt if games featuring the well supported AI Champions need much publicity. Seanfanbocht (Roscommon) - Posts: 2116 - 07/03/2025 15:41:42 2595267 Link
Replying To Seanfanbocht: "I doubt if games featuring the well supported AI Champions need much publicity." The championship in general does boxtyburgerbuns (Leitrim) - Posts: 160 - 07/03/2025 15:55:41 2595272 Link
Replying To PeterQ92: "Well done Antrim. All Gaels are behind your stance! The glorious disaster that is Casement Park must now be dealt with once and for all. Politicians north and south along with the GAA must now act. A generation of Antrim gaels have never had a home ground, it's shocking stuff." Politicians have more to do than helping to extract the GAA from a mess of their own making. Seanfanbocht (Roscommon) - Posts: 2116 - 07/03/2025 15:57:08 2595273 Link
Replying To PeterQ92: "Well done Antrim. All Gaels are behind your stance! The glorious disaster that is Casement Park must now be dealt with once and for all. Politicians north and south along with the GAA must now act. A generation of Antrim gaels have never had a home ground, it's shocking stuff." Antrim GAA closed down Casement Park in June 2013 knowing full well planning was not yet fully approved. You can argue all you like but Casement should not have closed until that was sorted. They have no one to blame but themselves. Square_B (Leitrim) - Posts: 1182 - 07/03/2025 16:18:51 2595276 Link