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Showing posts with label Casement Park. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Casement Park. Show all posts
Padraic Mac Coitir ➤ Like many Gaels from Aontroim I have been dismayed and angry at the debacle of Pairc Mhic Ásmaint and the clowns who were supposed to rebuild a 'state of the art' stadium. 

From the outset a lot of us argued the 38,000 seater they proposed was far too big but the arrogance of those in Stormont -many claiming to be Gaels - and those charged with the work meant they listened to nobody. Of course millions of pounds has been 'spent' since it went out to tender and the whole lot smells of corruption. If we lived in a democratic country I know what I would do with those people. 

 
I've been to many county grounds throughout the country and a lot are a credit to the GAA. We are the laughing stock of the country and as I write there's still no sign of work going to take place and all the while money is going into somebody's deep pockets. 

Despite this, there are many clubs in the county doing the right thing by upgrading their grounds and making them as fitting as possible for the players, managers and supporters. Of course this takes money but if spent wisely it can have a long term affect which keeps games of hurling, football, camogie and handball very much alive. 

On a sunny day like today it's a joy to stand in places like Ballycastle, Cushendall, Loughgiel, Dunloy and other grounds in the Glens. Of course there are many other grounds in and around Béal Feirste which are just as good. We've seen Davitts get their own ground and although the seating may be small it's a great spot. Naomh Eoin CLG is in the process of building stands in their Whiterock Road ground and hopefully it won't be too long before we see inter-county matches there. 

A number of weeks ago work began on a stand in Pairc Rossa with a concrete base being built. Then within ten days the steel structure and seating for 150 was put up. Yes, there's still a bit snagging to be done but I'm sure when we can all get to matches it will make a pleasant change from standing and getting a soaking as the rain lashes down from Sliabh Dubh. 

 
So maith sibh Rossa CLG!

Padraic Mac Coitir is a former republican
prisoner and current political activist.

Bring Off The Clowns

Guest writer Mal Higgins with his thoughts on something of the impact on local life in West Belfast likely to be occasioned by the proposed new development for Casement Park Stadium.


Over several years the proposed development of Casement Park on the Andersonstown Road in West Belfast has been a controversial issue with many local residents questioning not the development itself but the scale of that development. A recent article in the May/June issue of Plan, a bi-monthly journal of architects, states that the current 32,500 seat stadium will be redeveloped into a 38,000 all-seated venue which will become the largest stadium in Ulster and a flagship for the GAA in Ulster and will open in late 2016.

Plan Magazine
The seats increase also includes 2,000 premium/corporate level seats which aim to secure additional major fixtures. The article states “It incorporates facilities to support a range of sporting and non-sporting uses, maximising the economic and social sustainability of the stadium”. Putting the latter term “non-sporting uses” into lay person’s language usually means music venues.
The article gives an architect’s description of the architectural structure of the stadium’s three main components: the plinth, the cloud and finally the truss. The plinth is supposed to represent the solid foundations and the strength of the GAA as a community and volunteer based organisation. The cloud is constructed of light, transparent material and conceptually represents a bright future for the GAA. The truss, from a structural point of view, supports the stadium’s roof, but according to the article it also represents the spanning and bridging opportunities the stadium will deliver across all communities throughout Ireland. As expected all of the articles published images are computer generated thus giving an idyllic and harmonious picture of a finished product.

However, the article fails to mention the enormous parking problems on the Andersonstown Road and surrounding areas that usually incurred when even a minor match is held at Casement, never mind a major event. Being an ex-resident of West Belfast I have not so fond memories of the traffic jams that occur outside Casement Park on Sundays when trying to get to the M1 motorway for a return journey home. As for he noise level from the inferred “non-sporting uses” that can only be left to one’s imagination.

As a non-sporty person I have very little interest in the GAA except for some major matches that are occasionally broadcasted on TV. However, from a political and social perspective I have observed over the past few years something seems to be happening to the GAA as it has gone from a community based organisation into a corporate entity. The recent fiasco of the Garth Brooks concerts when 5 Croke Park unlicensed events were approved by the GAA, despite the fact they exceeded a local agreement between residents and the GAA and the selling off of some GAA sporting fixtures to Murdock’s Sky pay to view sporting channel are just 2 examples.

Casement: The Plan

Guest writer Sean Bresnahan with his take on the controversy surrounding the construction of a new stadium at Casement Park.

Catching up on BBC's The View the other night on the Sky planner I came across an episode from a few weeks ago where Stormont Minister for Culture, Arts and Leisure, Caral ni Chuilin, was interviewed by host Mark Carruthers in relation to objections from local residents to the Casement Park development in West Belfast. While the proposed stadium has been in the pipeline for quite some time it seems only now that residents are becoming aware of just ho imposing this new facility will be on the privacy of their homes and indeed the wider community for a variety of reasons.

Field of Dreams?

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