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At Long Last

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Replying To KillingFields:  "Did you have to bring in the unionist angle into the thread immediately.
Why not simply be positive about some good news!!"
You don't live in the North and obviously know nothing about the situation up here.

Ulsterman (Antrim) - Posts: 9818 - 02/08/2021 01:20:51    2366715

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So the self obsessed Belfast crowd are finally going to get their unnecessary and impractical vanity project...whoopee!

Total waste of money, time and effort.

Regardless of what Ulsterman will tell you, Belfast has no god given right to have the main GAA sports stadium in the north, simply because of some geo-political issues which it may have.

The sensible place for this stadium was always in mid-Ulster and not in Belfast.

Wally (Tyrone) - Posts: 926 - 02/08/2021 08:34:44    2366733

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Replying To Wally:  "So the self obsessed Belfast crowd are finally going to get their unnecessary and impractical vanity project...whoopee!

Total waste of money, time and effort.

Regardless of what Ulsterman will tell you, Belfast has no god given right to have the main GAA sports stadium in the north, simply because of some geo-political issues which it may have.

The sensible place for this stadium was always in mid-Ulster and not in Belfast."
The main stadium should be in the place with the best transport links and the most hotels. Not everyone had the luxury of driving or enjoys the match day experience if it's just car match car home.

Breezy (Limerick) - Posts: 1236 - 02/08/2021 21:02:40    2367049

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Replying To Ulsterman:  "You don't live in the North and obviously know nothing about the situation up here."
I dont live in north and know plenty about the situation up there but you missed the point.
you immediately went on the negative and looked for ways to dismiss whats happening instead of being happy that there is a positive outcome about to happen...

KillingFields (Limerick) - Posts: 3758 - 02/08/2021 22:38:07    2367072

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Replying To Breezy:  "The main stadium should be in the place with the best transport links and the most hotels. Not everyone had the luxury of driving or enjoys the match day experience if it's just car match car home."
You are 100% right on the transport links section.

But you cant tell me that a city in the north east of the province is best suited to house matches for all Ulster counties?

Surely somewhere with very good A roads and close to the m1 and m2 motorways while also situated in the centre of the province would be better. Lets say somewhere like east Tyrone for example.

But no. Instead the GAA and the Belfast brigade have turned this into a political totem pole which left no other option but to have it in west belfast.

Wally (Tyrone) - Posts: 926 - 02/08/2021 22:45:44    2367075

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Replying To Wally:  "You are 100% right on the transport links section.

But you cant tell me that a city in the north east of the province is best suited to house matches for all Ulster counties?

Surely somewhere with very good A roads and close to the m1 and m2 motorways while also situated in the centre of the province would be better. Lets say somewhere like east Tyrone for example.

But no. Instead the GAA and the Belfast brigade have turned this into a political totem pole which left no other option but to have it in west belfast."
You think a mid Ulster town with a population of less than stadium capacity would be the most suitable location for a major sporting event? It sounds like your speaking more for your own plight than anybody else's.

As for Belfast politicising the stadium, so long as it was being built in the 6 counties it was always going to be a political saga. Unless you're going to tell me your local unionist politicians are sold on the idea of promoting Irish culture.

SaffronDon (Antrim) - Posts: 2572 - 03/08/2021 11:04:39    2367175

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Replying To KillingFields:  "Did you have to bring in the unionist angle into the thread immediately.
Why not simply be positive about some good news!!"
When dealing with issues and this is/has been an important one, you look at the negatives as well as the positives and the issue of money will decide when this project is completed- that is if you do not live in 'cloud cuckoo land'.

browncows (Meath) - Posts: 2342 - 03/08/2021 11:21:05    2367183

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Replying To browncows:  "When dealing with issues and this is/has been an important one, you look at the negatives as well as the positives and the issue of money will decide when this project is completed- that is if you do not live in 'cloud cuckoo land'."
He immediately went on the negativity route. not looking at any positives but just went oh the unionists will do their best to stop it.
it says a lot about that person to immediately think that wat

KillingFields (Limerick) - Posts: 3758 - 03/08/2021 11:40:36    2367191

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Replying To KillingFields:  "He immediately went on the negativity route. not looking at any positives but just went oh the unionists will do their best to stop it.
it says a lot about that person to immediately think that wat"
Maybe Ulsterman thought that way because Ulsterman actually lives there and has experienced the consequences of how Unionist politicians and journalists think and behave.

Greengrass (Louth) - Posts: 6180 - 03/08/2021 11:53:46    2367195

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Replying To SaffronDon:  "You think a mid Ulster town with a population of less than stadium capacity would be the most suitable location for a major sporting event? It sounds like your speaking more for your own plight than anybody else's.

As for Belfast politicising the stadium, so long as it was being built in the 6 counties it was always going to be a political saga. Unless you're going to tell me your local unionist politicians are sold on the idea of promoting Irish culture."
What does the population size of the location have to do with the stadium?

It wont be filled with Belfast/Antrim supporters 99% of the time anyway.

What we are asking is for supporters from Donegal, west Tyrone, Cavan, Fermanagh, north Derry etc to travel to Belfast for major Ulster GAA matches. Huge distances and for what? So Belfast people can have a big shiny new facility which they will hardly ever use?

A central location in the province was always a better option and if practicalities were taken into account before politics then that is were it would have been situated.

As for your point on unionist politicians backing it. Then yes I think if this was based in mid Ulster and certainly in a traditional GAA stronghold like east Tyrone, then it would not have recieved half the back lash or delays that casement has.

Wally (Tyrone) - Posts: 926 - 03/08/2021 12:37:38    2367211

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Replying To Wally:  "What does the population size of the location have to do with the stadium?

It wont be filled with Belfast/Antrim supporters 99% of the time anyway.

What we are asking is for supporters from Donegal, west Tyrone, Cavan, Fermanagh, north Derry etc to travel to Belfast for major Ulster GAA matches. Huge distances and for what? So Belfast people can have a big shiny new facility which they will hardly ever use?

A central location in the province was always a better option and if practicalities were taken into account before politics then that is were it would have been situated.

As for your point on unionist politicians backing it. Then yes I think if this was based in mid Ulster and certainly in a traditional GAA stronghold like east Tyrone, then it would not have recieved half the back lash or delays that casement has."
What do you think happens when the population is less than the stadium capacity? The town becomes an ant hill with traffic delays for hours in and out of the place. I dont know about you but id rather travel a bit further on the road so long as it isn't sitting still in traffic because the town can't cope.

As for Antrim not being there 99% of the time that's not the case at all. The old casement was used for McKenna Cup, Football and hurling league games, championship matches, antrim club matches, Ulster club matches, under age antrim club finals and schools Cup finals. Not just the one time a year you seen it used on TV. You mention 'tradition' GAA strongholds but fail to realise that west Belfast has the largest concentration of GAA clubs in Ireland and was host to Ulster finals every year before the troubles. A very different picture than what you're trying to paint here.

SaffronDon (Antrim) - Posts: 2572 - 03/08/2021 13:22:28    2367226

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Yes, unionists are yapping about the cost, that's what they do. And Ulsterman is yapping about unionists, that's what he does.

Forget about that, it's the local residents group which held up the project for so long that it will now cost more than the original plan. Planning permission has finally been granted , but it will be no surprise if they try and appeal that decision, further delaying the job.

If the Ulster council had identified another spot such as Dungannon (roughly Central to the 9 counties), the bloody thing would be built by now and Casement could have been given a facelift too, long ago and for less money.

Suas Sios (None) - Posts: 1558 - 03/08/2021 13:25:18    2367229

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Replying To Gator:  "Theres none in Tyrone, Monaghan, Fermanagh or Donegal. There is a handful of stations in Derry and Armagh.

I assume the Ulster Council have a lucid business plan for why this will work which would include ground transportation....Most people will have to drive/bus it as rail services in Ulster are pathetic."
You don't need to get the train from home to go, its all about avoiding the traffic in and out

I used to work in Belfast and coming in from the M1 on occasions I would have driven to Moira and jumped on the train, thus avoiding the traffic. I'm sure there is a similar station coming in from M2 (Derry/Donegal)

This is a plus for me and i see another reply indicating the station ad finaghy is quite close which is definitely a help.. Clones I love don't get me wrong but getting in and out is awful, especially if you loose :(

conman1282 (Tyrone) - Posts: 88 - 03/08/2021 14:08:11    2367253

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Replying To Suas Sios:  "Yes, unionists are yapping about the cost, that's what they do. And Ulsterman is yapping about unionists, that's what he does.

Forget about that, it's the local residents group which held up the project for so long that it will now cost more than the original plan. Planning permission has finally been granted , but it will be no surprise if they try and appeal that decision, further delaying the job.

If the Ulster council had identified another spot such as Dungannon (roughly Central to the 9 counties), the bloody thing would be built by now and Casement could have been given a facelift too, long ago and for less money."
Exactly. Well said.

Wally (Tyrone) - Posts: 926 - 03/08/2021 15:29:06    2367301

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Replying To Suas Sios:  "Yes, unionists are yapping about the cost, that's what they do. And Ulsterman is yapping about unionists, that's what he does.

Forget about that, it's the local residents group which held up the project for so long that it will now cost more than the original plan. Planning permission has finally been granted , but it will be no surprise if they try and appeal that decision, further delaying the job.

If the Ulster council had identified another spot such as Dungannon (roughly Central to the 9 counties), the bloody thing would be built by now and Casement could have been given a facelift too, long ago and for less money."
The residents that are holding this up are no more than a handful of non GAA people in an area where the vast majority want the move to go ahead. I know some of the people living around the stadium, club mates of mine, and they tell me that every compromise put in front of them was rubbished and no matter how much people tried to speak about how it would regenerate the area etc they didn't want to know. These are people who chose to live next to a stadium, knowing that some day it would need renovation. It's beyond logic that they've been allowed to hold this project up for as long as they have and you're probably right that they will try again, but hopefully the powers that be can see the bigger picture this time.

Our county board must take the blame for closing the doors at Casement before a decision had been made. It became a health and safety hazard before they realised that they still might need the stadium. A serious OG for Antrim GAA which cost millions.

SaffronDon (Antrim) - Posts: 2572 - 04/08/2021 13:38:31    2367552

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It has been a colossal cock-up to let Casement go to ruin, everyone agrees on that.

I remember years ago in another Casement thread, myself telling Garymc from Derry to give up his crusade to build the provincial stadium in Tyrone, because there was "only one show in town". I thought it was a done deal. I believed he had a point, but that after the Maze proposal was ditched, the redevelopment of Casement had to go ahead or loose the funding. I can get there in 20 mins by car so it would have worked out great for me.

Instead it's all in a worse place than when they started, what 8 years ago? An omnishambles. Even when they put in the new floodlights (2005?) they faced challenges from the residents group, so they knew it would not be straightforward.

At this rate Down will have built our centre of excellence in Ballykinlar before Antrim play a home game, never mind host an Ulster final.

Suas Sios (None) - Posts: 1558 - 04/08/2021 21:25:03    2367763

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Replying To Suas Sios:  "It has been a colossal cock-up to let Casement go to ruin, everyone agrees on that.

I remember years ago in another Casement thread, myself telling Garymc from Derry to give up his crusade to build the provincial stadium in Tyrone, because there was "only one show in town". I thought it was a done deal. I believed he had a point, but that after the Maze proposal was ditched, the redevelopment of Casement had to go ahead or loose the funding. I can get there in 20 mins by car so it would have worked out great for me.

Instead it's all in a worse place than when they started, what 8 years ago? An omnishambles. Even when they put in the new floodlights (2005?) they faced challenges from the residents group, so they knew it would not be straightforward.

At this rate Down will have built our centre of excellence in Ballykinlar before Antrim play a home game, never mind host an Ulster final."
Good old Gary would've taken a bullet to stop Casement becoming the home of Ulster football once again. Maybe he moved to Owenvarragh/Mooreland to take a more hands on role in this. I guess if anybody had known what was ahead of us we might have taken a different stance on the game plan. I still think Casement is the best location with the 2 motorways leading right to the stadium. But obviously we can't continue to go round in circles with this group of residents either. The entire area's future prospects can't be dictated to by a small group of uncompromising residents that are happy enough to see Casement sitting there rotting away in full view. But it needs to be a more bullish approach this time otherwise we'll be on here discussing this for another 8 years which nobody else wants.

When's the new centre at Ballykinlar set to open? Hopefully they didnt do what Antrim did at Dunsilly and build it on a road with no access for buses LOL I think the next time Antrim are building anything GAA related, HQ should maybe takeover the general planning around it.

SaffronDon (Antrim) - Posts: 2572 - 05/08/2021 16:58:00    2368027

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Replying To SaffronDon:  "Good old Gary would've taken a bullet to stop Casement becoming the home of Ulster football once again. Maybe he moved to Owenvarragh/Mooreland to take a more hands on role in this. I guess if anybody had known what was ahead of us we might have taken a different stance on the game plan. I still think Casement is the best location with the 2 motorways leading right to the stadium. But obviously we can't continue to go round in circles with this group of residents either. The entire area's future prospects can't be dictated to by a small group of uncompromising residents that are happy enough to see Casement sitting there rotting away in full view. But it needs to be a more bullish approach this time otherwise we'll be on here discussing this for another 8 years which nobody else wants.

When's the new centre at Ballykinlar set to open? Hopefully they didnt do what Antrim did at Dunsilly and build it on a road with no access for buses LOL I think the next time Antrim are building anything GAA related, HQ should maybe takeover the general planning around it."
I don't know when it's due to be finished but they got the go ahead for it this year anyway. The site is a former M.O.D. barracks. Perhaps worth noting that despite some objections from the football stronghold that wanted it built in the South of the county, it was decided to put it mid-east of the county in order to make it equally accessible to players from the hurling stronghold in the North of the county.

Suas Sios (None) - Posts: 1558 - 06/08/2021 22:01:39    2368351

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Replying To Suas Sios:  "I don't know when it's due to be finished but they got the go ahead for it this year anyway. The site is a former M.O.D. barracks. Perhaps worth noting that despite some objections from the football stronghold that wanted it built in the South of the county, it was decided to put it mid-east of the county in order to make it equally accessible to players from the hurling stronghold in the North of the county."
It sounds like the same compromise for our own centre. Obviously Belfast was looked at but for the hurlers on the north coast it would mean a lot more travel than the rest. Dunsilly sits as central as anywhere in Antrim with the M2 along side it. Obviously they forgot about the train line that runs along there too but that's another story. Id say Bredagh and Carryduff will be the least happy its in Ballykinlar but its hard to get these things to suit everyone I suppose. Hopefully the whole thing will bring some fresh organisation into Down GAA.

SaffronDon (Antrim) - Posts: 2572 - 07/08/2021 11:30:37    2368442

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On the contrary, it's a decent A road from South Belfast to Ballykinlar, apart from maybe the Ballynahinch traffic. This suits those 2 dual clubs with huge membership that you mention.

Suas Sios (None) - Posts: 1558 - 07/08/2021 11:50:57    2368450

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