By 
COUNTY grounds such as Healy Park, which have fallen into a significant state of disrepair, must not be overlooked when it comes to capital investment, County chairman Martin Sludden has warned.
Commenting on the ongoing saga about the Casement Park funding project in Belfast the Dromore man stated at the annual County Convention in Garvaghey that what was once ‘a beacon of hope for the Gaels of Antrim and Ulster GAA has become a symbol of frustration and delay’.
However he stresses that funding for the Andersonstown venue shouldn’t be made at the expense of the other provincial grounds across Ulster, stressing that there had to be to a more even distribution of resources.
“ Having spent well in excess of £20m already with nothing to show for it, Ulster GAA appear willing to spend hundreds of millions on a stadium that’s neither wanted nor needed.
“ The stadiums across the province need significant capital investment, some having fallen into a significant state of disrepair, including Healy Park and I would appeal to the GAA at national and provincial level to ensure that the other 8 counties in Ulster get their fair share of all of the funding sources available to refurbish their grounds. We should not direct all of the funding to one single project to the detriment of all the other counties.”
The Tyrone chair did acknowledge his sympathy for all those invesred in the Casement Park rebuild who had ensured one setback after another.
“ The costs have spiralled far beyond original estimates, and yet all we see are repeated setbacks, missed deadlines, and complete uncertainty. We have been told that we need to be patient but in truth after 14 years of waiting our patience has runout.
“ Every passing year erodes confidence and deepens the sense of injustice felt by the people of Antrim and the wider Ulster GAA community. Do they deserve this? Absolutely not.
“ This situation is unacceptable. The Gaels of Antrim deserve a modern stadium that reflects their needs and their commitment to our games. Instead, they have been left waiting—promises left unfulfilled, plans stalled, with no progress in sight.”
