Casement Park in need of new contractor for Euro 2028 rebuild

A new contractor is being sought to rebuild Belfast's Casement Park stadium ahead of the Euro 2028 football tournament.

The decision to change contractor was announced by the GAA (Gaelic Athletic Association), which is in charge of the project.

The GAA insists that the decision will not jeopardise having the stadium ready in time for Euro 2028.

The west Belfast stadium is due to be turned into a 34,500 capacity ground.

The UK and Ireland is hosting Euro 2028, with Belfast one of nine cities scheduled to stage matches.

Casement Park has been derelict for the past decade and plans for its redevelopment have been hit by continual delays in the years since.

It was announced back in 2013 that the stadium would be rebuilt in a joint venture by the England-based Buckingham Group and the Northern Ireland firm Heron Bros.

In September, the Buckingham Group went into administration.

In a statement on Friday, a spokesperson for Ulster GAA said Heron Bros would not proceed to deliver the project and that it was working with the Department of Communities to secure a new contractor.

"We are determined and confident that construction work will commence in line with the timelines required to host the Uefa Euro Championships in 2028," it added.

"Ulster GAA is bringing forward critical aspects of the construction programme to progress the project, at pace, during the process to secure a new main contractor in the coming months, including site clearance and a range of enabling works packages."

Ulster GAA said that Heron Bros "participated fully in a recent due diligence exercise" after the Buckingham Group went into administration, which showed their "capacity and capability to bring this project forward".