The divisive and troubled redevelopment of Casement Park has hit another major snag, as doubts continue to circle about a potential completion date for construction.
The Antrim GAA county ground has been out of use for over a decade, with the last game at the stadium taking place in 2013.
Casement Park lies desolate, with weeds overgrown across both the pitch and terraces, and it is a truly sorry sight for such an iconic ground.
Rather surprisingly, the stadium was included in the successful Ireland-UK bid to host EURO 2028, putting a definitive "due by" date on the project to revitalise Casement Park.
Opposition has been fierce from some corners. Polls suggest that a majority of Unionists in Northern Ireland would rather host no games at the EUROs than host them at Casement Park, while even the country's leading goalscorer of all time has cast doubt on the viability of hosting games at the GAA ground.
Antrim GAA hope to have games taking place at the stadium as early as 2025, but today's announcement from Ulster GAA casts fresh doubt on the construction project.
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Casement Park hit with fresh setbacks as unease continues
17 October 2023; A banner is displayed in opposition to the use of Casement Park during UEFA EURO 2028 before the UEFA EURO 2024 Championship qualifying group H match between Northern Ireland and Slovenia at the National Football Stadium at Windsor Park in Belfast. Photo by Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile
Initially, the plan for Casement Park's redevelopment had been to share duties between Derry construction firm Heron Bros and English company the Buckingham Group.
However, Buckingham Group collapsed late last summer, and Ulster GAA have spent the intervening period assessing whether construction can be handled by Heron Bros alone.
Friday brought the news that it will no longer be possible to work along the original plan, and that new developers are being sought for the project.
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In a statement, Ulster GAA said:
Ulster GAA today advises that Heron Bros Limited, our long-standing construction contractor, will not proceed to deliver the main works contract for the new Casement Park.
We are working closely with our partners in the Department for Communities (DfC) to progress procurement of a contractor using recognised frameworks for major construction projects.
We are determined and confident that construction work will commence in line with the timelines required to host the UEFA EURO Championships in 2028.
It is just the latest obstacle for the project, which has been beset with obstacles ever since 2013, with costs spiralling well past the originally budgeted £77 million to upwards of £110 million.
Time will tell if Casement Park will see championship or EUROs action in the coming years, but the road is not getting any smoother ahead for Ulster GAA.
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