The redevelopment of Casement Park received a huge boost this week, with the announcement that the Irish government will pump €50 million of funding into the project ahead of EURO 2028.
Plans to include the dilapidated Antrim GAA ground as a host city for the European Championships have caused significant controversy in recent months, with staunch opposition from Unionist politicians and civilians alike.
The backlash against Casement Park's inclusion has been so strong that polls suggest the majority of Unionists would prefer no games to take place in Belfast than those games take place in Casement.
10 October 2023; A general view of Casement Park, which was announced as one of the proposed venues for UEFA Euro 2028, in Belfast, for the 2028 UEFA European Football Championship. Photo by Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile
Northern Ireland legend David Healy has questioned whether the decision to hold games in Casement Park would be worth the investment, and he has been joined by a fellow legend south of the border.
Speaking to the Irish media this week ahead of his side's week two game against Shamrock Rovers, Shelbourne manager Damien Duff said that he would prefer to see the Irish government's €50 million investment go towards League of Ireland academies.
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Damien Duff calls for Casement Park investment to be redirected to LOI
In classic flippant style, Duff said:
Will Casement Park bring through footballers? Maybe in a roundabout way. Academies for me is where the future of Irish football is.
Fifty million euro, how many games will it host? Four? Great. We’ll go to the toilet four times. I’d rather it be spent on academies.
It’s not always black and white. Some people would prefer to spend it on stadiums. People get peed off because a lot of stuff comes down to common sense, and not a lot of people have that.
Duff's comments are likely to be echoed by many around the League of Ireland, with the league's clubs crying out for government investment while huge sums of money are pumped into the EURO 2028 project.
A lack of government investment in the League of Ireland has previously been lamented by the FAI, who sought an increase in funding last summer to aid with development plans up and down the country.
The FAI's Football Pathways Plan was launched earlier this week, though little information was included on the footballing legacy which will be left behind by hosting EURO 2028. Despite the lack of concrete information on how football would be impacted long-term by hosting the EUROs, €390 million was pledged from within the FAI to the League of Ireland, with a primary focus on creating modern fit-for-purpose stadia, academies, and training grounds.
Interest continues to boom in the league, with attendance levels across the opening weekend smashing the most packed out of last year. Duff's Shelbourne could only draw away to newly-promoted Waterford on opening night, and now face the daunting task of welcoming Shamrock Rovers to Tolka Park this Friday.
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