With Casement Park officially out of the running, question marks now surround the UK-Ireland co-hosting of Euro 2028 and where Belfast's games will be redistributed.
It was confirmed last week that the UK Government would not fund the GAA ground's redevelopment in time for the Euros, ending the long-running saga of whether Casement Park would be ready to host games in four years.
Windsor Park is unlikely to be considered, meaning that Northern Ireland has all but lost its hosting rights for the tournament - leaving several games left over to be moved elsewhere.
Although the likelihood is that the games will evenly be split between Dublin, Cardiff, and Glasgow, another, more far-fetched idea has emerged in recent days. Labour's Peter Horgan, a councillor for Cork city, was among the first to propose SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoímh as a potential replacement for Casement Park.
That idea was backed by Tánaiste and Cork native Micheál Martin earlier this week, as well as by Minister for Sport Thomas Byrne. The idea has now been supported by GAA president Jarlath Burns, despite the massive logistical question marks which surround bringing the Euros to Cork.
READ HERE: James McClean Shares Bobby Sands Quote After Drink Thrown By Furious Birmingham Fans
READ HERE: Brighton Boss' Evan Ferguson Comments Are Good News For Ireland Fans
Jarlath Burns issues support for Cork's Euro 2028 push
16 July 2024; Katie McCabe of Republic of Ireland, right, in action during the 2025 UEFA Women's European Championship qualifying group A match between Republic of Ireland and France at SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh in Cork. Photo by Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile
Speaking to the assembled Irish media at the Hurling Development Conference on Wednesday, GAA president Jarlath Burns was asked about the possibility of Euro 2028 games going to Cork in lieu of Casement Park's withdrawal.
Burns expressed his support for the idea, saying:
Obviously, we in the GAA would be very supportive of that. I have to give credit to the Tánaiste Michéal Martin and the Minister for Sport because I only mentioned it to Michéal Martin three days ago. It had been suggested to me by Kevin O’Donovan from Cork two months ago, just to plant the seed.
We know that Páirc Uí Chaoimh is open for all business and we would recommend as many games as possible to be in it.
It’s great how quickly they’ve come out of the blocks, but at the end of the day that’s a decision that will be made by Uefa.
But if we were asked to nominate a stadium for the games that were to be in Casement Park, they would definitely be in Páirc Uí Chaoímh in one of the most vibrant cities in the world, Corcaigh.
Minister for Sport Thomas Byrne confirmed earlier this week that contact had been made with the FAI to suggest putting the Cork stadium forward to UEFA as a potential alternative to Casement Park, alongside GAA HQ at Croke Park.
However, there would be major logistical issues surrounding either venue being used.
11 March 2007; The newly erected seating on Hill 16 for the upcoming European Championship Qualifier between the Republic of Ireland and Wales. Croke Park, Dublin. Picture credit: David Maher / SPORTSFILE
Both stadiums have previously hosted soccer games, with SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoímh hosting Ireland's recent Euro 2025 qualifying victory against France. Croke Park memorably hosted the Irish soccer team during Lansdowne Road's redevelopment between 2007 and 2009.
However, standing is not permitted for any UEFA competition, creating immediate issues for either venue. During the FAI's stay at Croker, temporary seats were installed on Hill 16, dropping the capacity from 82,000 to just over 70,000.
When the Ireland women's team visited Cork in July, only the two seated stands were used, with the terraces behind either goal left empty, leaving the capacity at 21,000. Such an arrangement would be unacceptable to UEFA, so temporary seating would need to be installed on the terraces, akin to the treatment received in German stadiums during Euro 2024.
Jarlath Burns said on Wednesday that he believes such logistical issues can be overcome but, with the expenditure required and time at a premium, it is hugely unlikely anything can be done to make Páirc Uí Chaoímh a feasible venue for Euro 2028.
That is before one considers the question marks that may be raised about the distance from the stands to the pitch in the Páirc, or the ability of Cork to cope with the huge influx of fans expected for the tournament. Couple that with the absence of the city from the original bid book and it seems inevitable that Cork's push to join the Euros party will be in vain.
It would undeniably be wonderful to see Euros football Leeside but, with such issues to overcome, it seems as though Jarlath and co. are on a well-intentioned wild goose chase.
SEE ALSO: Toto Schillaci Became An Irish Cult Hero Despite Breaking Our Hearts At Italia '90
