GAA President: We’ll do everything to ensure Casement will be ready for Euro 2028, but we’ll not pay more than £15m

Burns was responding to a Belfast Telegraph interview with Sports Minister Gordon Lyons on Thursday when the DUP man insisted he would like to see Casement Park renovated, but it couldn’t currently go ahead due to a lack of funds.

The west Belfast GAA ground has been assigned as one of 10 designated stadiums for the UK/Ireland Euro 2028 tournament and Uefa would need Casement to be ready by 2027 to pass all their checks ahead of the finals.

Currently the GAA have been paying for a ‘clean-up operation’ at Casement, but so far no tenders have been sent out or agreed for the actual renovation work to start.

The original budget when the Casement project was first given the green light in 2011 was £77.5 million with the NI Executive promising to pay £62.5 million and the GAA £15 million.

Westminster sources have indicated, due to spiralling costs for materials and inflation, that the overall cost could now be as much as £300 million.

The Irish government have stated they are willing to contribute £42 million to the rebuilding of Casement.

“We have had to exercise patience in getting the refurbishment of the stadium off the ground but now that the work is up and running we believe it is vital that it should continue,” states Burns.

“The GAA as an organisation has contributed some £57 million (£42 million from the Irish government) to the project so far and we believe that is a fair allocation.

“There is obviously pressure to deliver the new-look Casement Park in 2027 ahead of the Euros the following year and everything will be done to ensure that this time-table is adhered to.”

While the UK government have still to state how much they will contribute to the project, minister Lyons said he would like the GAA to offer up more than the £15m they out forward in 2011.

Burns, though, believes that the GAA has made its maximum overall contribution to the project.

“While it is important that the time-table in relation to the completion of the stadium is adhered to, we feel we have given the maximum amount we can and we feel that more money should be coming from other sources,” says Burns.

“The UK government and Stormont Executive should now clarify their position on future funding for the project. The GAA is after all an amateur organisation and has huge commitments in terms of overall ground improvements.”

Ulster Council Chief Executive McAvoy is anxious to keep matters “in context” given the overall expenditure that will be involved in the Casement Park project.

"There is a limit to what we can do and that's why we've gone to the Irish government – we would have little scope for moving beyond the £15million we ourselves have already delivered towards the project,” he revealed.

"We had lengthy discussions with the Irish government in relation to their contribution to the project, and when they weighed in with the Euro equivalent of £42million to go along with our £15million it was obviously a big help in terms of the overall funding.”

The Irish FA released a brief statement to the Belfast Telegraph saying: "We continue to work with all parties in order for the project to be finished on time for the Euros."

When completed new-look Casement Park is expected to accommodate 34,000 fans and become the most modern stadium in Ireland.