Deliberations over Casement were a pantomime - GAA

Jarlath Burns said Ulster GAA were "coming in with a completely different set of figures"

Deliberations around Casement Park have been a pantomime over the past year, GAA president Jarlath Burns has said.

On Friday, the UK government announced it would not fund the redevelopment of the west Belfast stadium in time for the Euro 2028 football tournament.

It said the estimated cost had "risen dramatically" from £180m to more than £400m - a figure which Mr Burns said he did not recognise.

While the government will not be funding a Euro 2028-compliant stadium, Mr Burns urged them to say how much they would be contributing towards the rebuild.

Speaking on the Sunday Politics show, Mr Burns said Ulster Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) "were coming in with a completely different set of figures" for the rebuild.

"I just feel that was unfair to come out with that figure of £400m because that certainly didn’t align with any of the figures that we have had from our management consultants, who are stadia experts," he said.

He would not put a figure on the rebuild cost, saying it was "commercially sensitive".

"The Ulster GAA and all of us have lost out," he said. "Really wasted a full year because of this pantomime we’ve had."

Mr Burns also confirmed the GAA did not plan on providing more funding now that the stadium would not be built in time to host the Euros.

"The allocation that we have at the moment is £58m. That’s the money that we have pledged ourselves, plus the money that we have negotiated off the Irish government," he said.

Taoiseach (Irish PM) Simon Harris said the €50m (£42.2m) his government had pledged remained in place.

"I share the disappointment that Euro 2028 games will not be played at a redeveloped Casement, but we must not lose sight of the opportunity to have another top-class sporting facility in a city that thrives on sport," he said.

Mr Burns said the tender documents to solicit bids from potential contractors have been ready since March.

"The GAA feel the damage was done back in March whenever the tender documents weren't issued, because we were really up against the clock at that stage," he said.

The Labour government, which only came to power in July, "did their best but they were up against it", he added.

Stormont's Finance Minister Caoimhe Archibald said she planned to seek clarification on the figure the UK government said was needed to rebuild Casement.

“There have been a lot of figures put out about Casement and every time a figure is put out there, it is larger than before,” the minister said.

“Casement will be built,” she added. “It is an executive commitment and we need to get on and get that project delivered.”

She would not be drawn on whether Stormont’s contribution would increase.

The latest news does not mean the stadium cannot be rebuilt for the GAA

Plans have been in place to build a new stadium at Casement Park since 2011.

The initial estimated cost of rebuilding it was £77.5m, with £62.5m coming from the Stormont executive and £15m from the GAA.

Since then costs have risen dramatically and trying to cater for football as well as GAA matches increased the cost further, as Uefa requires a higher specification of stadium.

But the latest news does not mean the stadium cannot be rebuilt for the GAA, which was the original purpose.