The document anticipates that minister McCausland will provide a paper to the Stormont Executive next month recommending the redevelopment of the three Belfast stadiums.

McCausland has yet to sign off on the plans which would then have to go before Finance Minister Sammy Wilson's department and ultimately be rubber stamped by the Northern Ireland Executive.

And the above, pre-supposes that the Irish FA will get its house in order and there remains the very real possibility that even if given approval, the Executive's spending review coming down the tracks could yet scupper the deal.

ochonlir (Cavan) - Posts: 4343 - 07/10/2010 20:00:21    792203

coming from the Lough Shore the grounds are six of one half a dozen of the other in terms of time spent getting there. Clones is amazing and i'd keep it there. However lads never heard of a Gaels car getting stolen while they were in watching the match in silence, its an urban myth. Huge redevelopment of the ground and us country ones giving the city a go/fair chance instead of milking the city and sending our children to destroy it would make it a decent spot I'd say, the city is well on the up, and it will help the indigenous people of Ireland reclaim east of the bann.

CheFinny (UK) - Posts: 1358 - 07/10/2010 20:41:40    792242

Sad day in my eyes. You cant beat Clones even though its a nightmare getting home.

Samsforthehills (Donegal) - Posts: 1075 - 07/10/2010 21:01:22    792285

I had some of my greatest GAA memories in Clones over the years and walking up the hill in Clones is like a 'walk of passage' for ulster gaa followers, coming out of the ground through the large followers up the narrow street - part of my summers - walking past drunks, broken bottles, the long traffic queues - no matter what road your sat. nav takes - is not so memorable!!
However, Clones is getting dated - seriously dated and when one takes the wife and kids you realise that toilets, proper seating and a decent access are important and the gaa knows this, BUT the real problem with Clones is access, I went to Portlaoise twice last year for matches and found the journey (100 odd miles) a handy drive with the motorways - Clones was a railway town with the last excursion in 1959 (60) with trains from dundalk, dublin, lurgan,belfast, ballyshannon , culloville, monaghan town and even mullingar!! We must move with the times - but clones gave my family great memories even intraffic.......

cuchulainn35 (Armagh) - Posts: 1687 - 07/10/2010 21:09:02    792303

omaghredhand
County: Tyrone
Posts: 2409

You're beginning to sound more like Jimbo and the rest of the Dublin contingent regards country folk.

In fairness the Ulster final should probably just be played in Dublin all the time.........

MesAmis (Dublin) - Posts: 13792 - 07/10/2010 21:29:57    792337

richiej
County: UK
Posts: 591




The Ulster final will be played in Tralee by the time Antrim win one!..And Prince Charles will prob be presenting the Cup too



Will Charles be presenting the cup because if we win Ulster in 2011 it will be TEN IN A ROW????????????? We only managed 7 in a row at football.


That TEN IN A ROW is THREE less than Tyrone's total in their entire history.

Would I laugh at Tyrone for being also rans in Ulster? Certainly not, I would encourage them for trying to establish Gaelic games in that county.

And they are now doing well. They have even won TWO more Ulster football titles than Antrim nowadays.

Who would have thought it?

That is


W

patrique (Antrim) - Posts: 13709 - 07/10/2010 21:51:29    792373

That's a good post cuchalainn. Very few of us, especially from Belfast, are anti Clones, Healy Park or Breffni but this Executive money is being designated for Casement to improve every facet of Ulster matches especially for the fans. We need dry, comfortable seating for people, better toilet facilities for women and children, more bar/food outlets at the ground and a stadium that every Ulster Gael can be proud of. This is NOT for Belfast or Antrim people this is for the entire Ulster GAA community and yes money should also be set aside for improving Clones too but times are indeed moving and we need good, proper facilities for our people.

Ulsterman (Antrim) - Posts: 9816 - 07/10/2010 21:51:51    792374

Mulligan Eamonn
County: All
Posts: 450

791924
Listen the seed of doubt was put in the minds of the Ulster Council
two years ago when they heard a awful racket ( some clown trying badly to play Irish music) on the diamond in Clones
before the Tyrone v Antrim




I missed that. A few of us were playing AFTER the game, but then we have more all Irelands between us that the 9 senior titles Antrim and Tyrone have between them.

Savo on the maths. Tyrone have 3.

patrique (Antrim) - Posts: 13709 - 07/10/2010 21:54:17    792380

Where is Omagh? I mean what county is it in?

patrique (Antrim) - Posts: 13709 - 07/10/2010 21:56:38    792387

When Casement was opened in 1954 I think it was to be the home of Ulster GAA, with a smart grandstand that was state of the art in those days.

I went to school in that grandstand as the first primary scholol in the St Agnes's parish in Andersonstown was not built until 1959, and I started in september 1958 in Casement.

Casement was part of us and Ulster finals in casement n the 1960s were brilliant. The last final was one of the best, Down V Derry in 1971.

Now in England they play international football and major cup finals at Wembley. In Scotland they use Hampden Par in Glasgow.

have you any idea how many cars are stolen in London and Glasgow every year, so let us not talk nonsense here. "Policing" Casement would be easy. Let's face it for years at Croke you had the famous "man in charge of the parking". You slipped him a few bob and your car was ok. Did we stop playing finals in Dublin?

The old story was the hard man from Belfast who told "the man in charge of the parking" that the alsation dog in the back was all the safe guard he needed. The man saisd "dat's great, how is the dog with putting out fires?"

All part of the big day out at Croke in those times.

Casement, as a SYMBOL of Gaelic games in Belfast????? Sure what could be better than that?

patrique (Antrim) - Posts: 13709 - 07/10/2010 22:03:50    792398

ulster final gig? wouldn't exactly call the few tunes the band plays before the game a 'gig'

wishfulthinkin (Cavan) - Posts: 1729 - 08/10/2010 08:07:33    792401

maybe U2 ould open the new stadium with a gig. Casement Rocks!

fortyfive (Tyrone) - Posts: 5929 - 08/10/2010 11:15:34    792531

tradition for GAA followers is like bread and butter for a large family. and clones has ages of tradition behind it as this stage, be it for a day out or for an ulster final the sense of nostalgia runs deep. being from dublin and playing every championship game in croker my experience of big match days down the country is limited but there is a problem with venues not served by a train. even the all ireland U21 in breffni this year, breffni are nice compact ground by all means but a disaster to get out of. this is pretty much in my view down to garda traffic management who seem set on creating chaos instead of preventing it. why they dont close the exits to all but match traffic for 30 minutes after the game is beyond me in grounds like that. belfast seems the obvious choice for a prevailing ulster stadium but other provinces have shown it need not be the end of the use of clones, munster has at least three grounds capable of holding the munster football/hurling finals, connaught now has two serious stadia and with some work in the future ulster may have two large stadiums.

seany16 (Dublin) - Posts: 1658 - 08/10/2010 11:51:25    792568

patrique
County: Antrim
Posts: 9881

792387 Where is Omagh? I mean what county is it in?

If you are the big Antrim supporter you make yourself out to be you'll have found out by the 12th March

omaghredhand (Tyrone) - Posts: 3656 - 08/10/2010 12:53:49    792620

omaghredhand
County: Tyrone
Posts: 2416

792620
patrique
County: Antrim
Posts: 9881

792387 Where is Omagh? I mean what county is it in?

If you are the big Antrim supporter you make yourself out to be you'll have found out by the 12th March

Start out on Andersonstown Road
A55
0.26
At Andersonstown Road Roundabout take the 3rd exit onto Kennedy Way - A55
Outer Ring, Motorway M1

M1
0.56
At roundabout take the 4th exit, then join the M1 motorway
Dublin, Craigavon, Enniskillen

A4
36.86
At Junction 15 continue forward onto the A4
Enniskillen, Omagh

39.57
At roundabout take the 2nd exit onto Woodlough Road - A4
Enniskillen

44.89
Continue forward onto Ballygawley Road - A4Entering Cabragh
47.82
Continue forward onto Dungannon Road - A4Entering Ballyreagh
49.77
Continue forward onto Dungannon Road - A4Entering Ballygawley
A5
50.25
At Ballygawley Roundabout take the 2nd exit onto Omagh Road - A5
Omagh

64.96
Continue forward onto the A5Entering Omagh
65.33
At Crevenagh roundabout take the 1st exit onto the A5
Londonderry, Strabane

65.42
Branch left, then at traffic signals turn left onto Dublin Road
65.67
Arrive on Dublin Road

fortyfive (Tyrone) - Posts: 5929 - 08/10/2010 14:16:25    792719

well i for one am pissed off with pubs in clones putting up their prices when a game is on, bring it all back to cheaper belfast

dmac (Derry) - Posts: 23 - 08/10/2010 18:39:32    792960

Patrique, hate like hell having to educate you, but Roger Casement Park opened in 1953, Frank O Gara from Tipperary carried the Torch on its final leg of the Relay into the Park, Ard Mhaca won the first Ulster Title played there in 1953, beating Cavan, 1.06 to 0.5, and the Armagh Minors beat Tyrone 2.15 to 3.02.

sam02 (Tyrone) - Posts: 643 - 08/10/2010 20:18:55    792997

Fortyfive Tyrone, you are a joke, someone from Tyrone trying to give someone directions anywhere, sure ye couldnt find your way to Banagher Co Offaly the other week and then Ballymahon, sure that put yer Sat Navs on fire. Oh, and where is LONDONDERRY !!!!!!!!!!!!! your words.

sam02 (Tyrone) - Posts: 643 - 09/10/2010 09:52:32    793063

fortyfive
County: Tyrone
Posts: 1831



Start out on Andersonstown Road


Thanks 45 but live in Antrim Town.

Toome, Ballyronan, Loup, Moneymore, Cookstown, across the wilderness site of the legendary Kildress in the mid 1970s, avoid turning off into Greencastle for a drink, (did that in 1988) cakll into Kiltyclogher and slap a few heads, and hence Omagh.

March 12th? A division 2 football fixture might be a big game for Tyrone foolk like Omagh Red but I imagine Antrim will be in some sort of all Ireland final that week.

patrique (Antrim) - Posts: 13709 - 09/10/2010 13:53:12    793154

Apart from Dolly the sheep, what other clones of note spring to mind

dhorse (Laois) - Posts: 11374 - 09/10/2010 14:23:04    793177