The redevelopment of Casement Park in west Belfast will be significantly smaller than originally planned, with the new capacity now expected to be almost halved. Ulster GAA confirmed that it is reviewing options for a phased project after a long-standing funding shortfall made the original 34,500-seat design unviable.

The scaled-back venue will not be able to host Ulster senior football finals, which are set to remain at Clones. Instead, the stadium will stage Antrim club matches, inter-county league and championship fixtures, and Ulster senior semi-finals. The reduced capacity is likely to be between 17,000 and 18,000, according to sources familiar with the plans.

The project has been dogged by delays since the ground fell into disrepair over a decade ago. The latest estimate for the full build reached around £270 million, with only £170 million currently committed. That sum includes £50 million from the UK government, alongside contributions from the Stormont Executive, the Irish government, and the GAA itself.

Inflation has further strained the budget. Finance Minister John O'Dowd proposed increasing the original executive allocation from £62.5 million to over £100 million, though this has yet to be agreed. The Department for Communities said the project must be sustainable and value for money.

Preliminary site works, including remediation of contaminated soil, have been completed, but the next phase has stalled because no Stormont funding has been released. The planning permission for the redevelopment remains in place, with a five-year window still open.

First Minister Michelle O'Neill insisted the stadium would be built, calling it an absolute priority. In a statement, she highlighted that diggers and workers were already on site and said the project would deliver jobs and investment. Opposition politicians expressed disappointment. SDLP MLA Matthew O'Toole said GAA fans would question a decade and a half of delay, while the Ulster Unionist Party argued the design should be adjusted to fit available funds rather than seeking more public money.

Ulster GAA said it remained fully committed to the project. A spokesperson added that the project team was reviewing options for a phased delivery and would work with funding partners to bring major GAA games back to Belfast.