Jarlath Burns: New GAA president 'understands' concerns about Casement funding
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Jarlath Burns: GAA president talks Casement Park and attending Northern Ireland soccer matches
New GAA president Jarlath Burns says he "understands" concerns about where the remainder of the funding required to build Casement Park will come from.
The Irish government this week allocated €50 million (£42.8m) for the redevelopment of the stadium in west Belfast, while the GAA says its limit of contribution is £15m.
Burns insists that the GAA have received assurances that money will be provided to have the stadium built in time to host Euro 2028.
"We've been given guarantees that when we got the promise of the Euros, that the government would fulfil the [financial] expectation, that it was going to build a stadium with the needs of playing European Championship games at Casement Park," he told BBC Sport.
Burns was speaking as he assumed the GAA presidency in a Congress session in Newry on Saturday and he highlighted the need to focus on the positives the redevelopment of the stadium could bring to sport in Northern Ireland.
"It [the redevelopment of Casement Park] is something we should be excited by, we shouldn't be looking at the disadvantages of it.
"While I understand that there will be concerns around the funding of it and the concerns of Northern Ireland supporters coming over to west Belfast, I think the bigger picture is that we can have a stadium for all in west Belfast and a magnificent place we can all be proud of."
Burns wants Casement started and completed in his tenure
An artist's impression of the new proposed stadium, which would have a capacity of 34,500
Burns, who captained Armagh to a first Ulster Football title in 17 years in Clones in 1999, expressed his gratitude to the Irish government for their contribution to the redevelopment, which begins this month with maintenance and pre-enabling works.
The redevelopment, to allow for a modern 34,000 capacity stadium, is due to be complete in the summer of 2027.
"I think we should be very thankful to the Irish government for their generosity and the vision they have shown," Burns commented.
"They can see that having a stadium in west Belfast that can take Euro 2028 matches, as well as having a regional stadium for Ulster GAA is something that should be a priority for all of us.
"I really welcome it and I'm looking forward to seeing Casement started and completed during my term."
Burns' first official engagement as president of the GAA will come on Tuesday, as he attends Northern Ireland's second leg of their Women's Nations League promotion/relegation play-off against Montenegro at Windsor Park.
It comes as Uefa officials will be in Belfast next week to discuss the progress of the redevelopment, with the European football governing body having set a mid-2027 deadline for the stadium to be completed by.
"It [the game at Windsor Park] is something that I'm very proud to say I'm going to. There are brilliant relations between the IFA and GAA and that is something I want to build on."
Busy in-tray lies ahead
Burns assumed the GAA presidency on Saturday, becoming the first Armagh man to be handed the role since Alf Murray's 1964 to 1967 term.
The 56-year old becomes the association's 41st president and has a full in-tray, including overseeing the development of football and hurling as well as the full integration of the GAA, Ladies Gaelic Football Association and the Camogie Association as one organisation by 2027.
"It's a massive privilege for me to be the GAA president, but I know with that comes incredible responsibility as well.
"I have three years where I have a very busy in-tray and I want to get started on that as quickly as possible," he admitted.
"The football and hurling, obviously because I came from gaelic games myself, will be priorities in different ways.
"Football, I'll be trying to make it more attractive and hurling, it'll be getting more people playing hurling and more clubs. Those are two of the very exciting things we have to look forward to," he explained.
"We have three years now to get that [amalgamation] right. We want to make sure that when we do finally amalgamate under the one umbrella, that it is the organisation it can be with the potential it can be.
"There is still a lot of work to be done and I have great confidence in Mary [former Irish president Mary McAleese] and the committee that she has there to achieve that."