Fears Casement Park bill could ‘escalate beyond belief’ — Monaghan GAA chairman

Declan Flanagan suggested that when the stadium is built, it could “indirectly” impact on counties such as Monaghan and Armagh in particular

Casement Park, Belfast, pictured earlier this month. Pictures: INPHO/James Crombie

Monaghan County Board chairman Declan Flanagan fears the redevelopment project for Casement Park could “escalate beyond belief” as construction costs rise.

Flanagan revealed his concerns about the Casement Park project and how exactly running costs will be paid for when the new stadium is up and running.

Funding has yet to be nailed down for the £110m west Belfast development.

He also suggested that when the stadium is built, it may have to be used for all major games in the province and that, “indirectly”, this could impact on counties such as Monaghan and Armagh in particular.

“The cost of the management and running of such a facility would be a big concern, a big concern,” Flanagan told Northern Sound radio said. 

“Who picks up the costs of those? Indeed, indirectly, the counties of Ulster I’d say will finish up picking up the cost.

“Somebody would say, ‘Well, how are they going to get money off Monaghan for those costs?’ It’s the loss of grant aid, the loss of fixtures.

“The Ulster final has been there in St Tiernach’s Park for 50 years or more, it would be seen as a big loss to St Tiernach’s Park. 

“I think there’s other people need to sit up and look around them and see where the losses are going to fall in and where they’re going to have an effect on them.”

Armagh hosted last November’s Ulster final and six of the last nine Ulster senior club finals. Flanagan said that “if Casement Park opens up, Armagh will have none of those, none of those at all”.

He believes the gate receipts from Casement may be required to meet costs and said: “The rest of the counties around Ulster will suffer — they might also not know that yet.”

Meanwhile, Monaghan GAA chiefs plan to ‘future proof’ their Cloghan training base by beginning construction work on a new high-performance unit this summer.

Flanagan confirmed they’re at an advanced stage in preparing to install state-of-the-art facilities at the Entekra-sponsored centre of excellence.

The venue has been used as a coronavirus test centre during the pandemic and Flanagan says they hope to upgrade it shortly.

“Monaghan GAA Management Committee are currently at an advanced stage of preparing to build a high-performance facility in Cloghan,” said Flanagan.

“This is internal gyms, different meeting rooms, different physio rooms, and stuff like that. Hopefully it’ll be started midsummer. It’s to advance Monaghan GAA and future proof it maybe for the next 10 to 15 years.”