Burns hits out at Northern Ireland minister over lack of effort with Casement reconstruction

FRUSTRATING TIMES: Uachtarán Chumann Lúthchleas Gael Jarlath Burns during day two of the GAA Congress at The Abbey Hotel in Donegal. Photo by Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile

GAA president Jarlath Burns has strongly criticised Minister for Communities of Northern Ireland Gordon Lyons for his apparent lack of effort in advancing the reconstruction of Casement Park.

Burns spoke last week of being “impatient” with the delay in the process to develop the Belfast venue and insists it can be built for £260 million after it was removed from the Euro 2028 stadia list last September.

However, Burns has been left disillusioned by the lack of engagement from DUP politician since Halloween last year. “We are disappointed with how he has performed,” said Burns following the GAA’s Annual Congress in Donegal.

On October 31, Burns and a GAA delegation met with Lyons in Belfast where they called on him to consider three “action points” they had. The first was to write to UK Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Hilary Benn to request a meeting regarding their government’s contribution to the project.

The second request was to put the matter of Casement Park on the agenda of the Northern Ireland Executive. The third was to identify areas where the Ulster Council could begin clearing the site.

On December 20, Burns wrote to Lyons seeking an update on the three requests.

“And I'm still waiting for a reply and it’s now February 21,” said the Armagh man.

“Just put that into context, the president of the biggest sporting organisation in Ireland is in contact through writing and he hasn't still received an acknowledgement that he wrote to the minister.

“If you compare that to [Irish Minister of State for Sport] Charlie McConalogue, who has just been appointed. I've now had two meetings with him. I was with him in Ballybofey and he came here to see me at Congress and we're meeting the Taoiseach [Micheál Martin] next week.”

Burns added Lyons has yet to accept an invitation from the GAA to attend any football or hurling match.

“If you look at the success that the GAA has had in the last year in Ulster, and what we won, and he hasn't attended any of those.

“I understand that he’s a (religious) difficulty attending games on a Sunday, but Armagh and Tyrone played Saturday night a week ago in front of 14,000 people. I don't know if he would know if it’s on or not.

“So I don't want to be negative, we have to work with these people, but I also want to be realistic about what we're dealing with and how challenging the landscape is for us.”

Burns added: “I wish I could be optimistic, but unfortunately it's really only pessimism on Casement at the moment.”

Burns highlighted the support the GAA have received for the rebuild of Casement Park from the other Stormont parties. “The Alliance Party are fully behind it, SDLP, Sinn Féin, even the Ulster Unionists understand where it's coming from.

“Having said that, last week there was a series of signs (claiming the GAA to be the sporting wing of the IRA). Very, very insulting signs of the GAA went up in Randalstown. I'm sure you all saw them. Really threatening signs.

“Not one member of the Unionist politicians have condemned it or had anything to say on it so we are operating in a very hostile environment, there’s no doubt about that. It’s disappointing to say that because of all the work we do reaching out.”