Casement Park GAAUlster GAA has formally submitted a planning application and associated Environmental Statement for the redevelopment of Casement Park into a 38,000 capacity all-seated stadium.
All GAA codes and activities will be catered for in the modern stadium to include Hurling, Camogie Gaelic Football, Rounders, and Handball.
This is the latest in a series of major sports infrastructure projects being undertaken in Northern Ireland with Windsor Park and Ravenhill also being redeveloped to cater for growing demand and positioning the region as among the best resourced for sport on the island of Ireland or in the UK.
The planning application for Casement Park followed an intensive community consultation period during which statutory authorities, and members of the public, local stakeholders and members of the GAA throughout Ulster were encouraged to engage directly with the stadium design team to influence the design process.
When complete, the redeveloped stadium will result in environmental benefits for the local community including improved traffic management during events, reduction in stadium noise pollution as well as a reduction in flood light pollution.
The stadium will also bring significant economic benefits to the city of Belfast and wider Province. Part of the provision of more than £25 million to the Irish FA development of Windsor Park and £60 million for Casement Park is an increased element of public access to the facilities. The new building will  offer over 2000sq meters dedicated to community facilities.
The full planning application and supporting environmental reports are available to for view on the Planning NI web site.
“The aspiration of Ulster GAA is to have all school children with an interest in Gaelic Games  having the opportunity to play in the new stadium within five years of its completion,” said Chairman of the Stadium Development Board Tom Daly.
“It is anticipated that this major Project will bring many benefits and opportunities for the local area and for Belfast and Ulster. During construction, it is predicted that local students will be interested in learning from the design and construction methodologies.”
“Ulster GAA has also included social clauses in its contracts, which will focus on local employment needs. The project will, once commenced, sustain over 1500 jobs in the construction industry while the Stadium when complete will bring significant local economic benefits by attracting visitors from across Ireland to Belfast.”