Debate contribution: Casement Park: Non-GAA Events

Debate contribution by Mr Gerry Carroll on 17 February 2026.

MLA

Mr Gerry Carroll

Party at the time

People Before Profit Alliance

Date

17 February 2026

Type

Debate contribution

Business

Private Members' Business

Heading

Casement Park: Non-GAA Events

Assembly identifier

Official Report component 5394616

Read the official Assembly record

Text

Thank you, Principal Deputy Speaker. I will not be able to respond to everything, but I will do my best to respond to some points. My colleague from West Belfast, the junior Minister, spoke about the wide-ranging benefits of a Casement Park development, and I hope that that is the case if a proper, manageable and safe Casement Park is allowed to go ahead. We need to be cognisant that, in a general sense, the financial impacts of developments are often exaggerated. The economic impact of the Olympics, the World Cup and the Euros beyond just the stadiums is often over-egged. Dave Zirin, a well-known sports journalist, when talking about the Olympics, said something that is relevant to Casement Park:

"You create this tourist mecca that reimagines what work is for working-class people. It's not industry, and it's not union work. It's service work. The jobs the Olympics create, after the construction, are almost entirely service work. "

You could replace "the Olympics" with "any stadium across the North". That point needs to be emphasised. Looking closer to home, I remember, before I was elected to anywhere, the hoo-ha around the Titanic development and the economic impact that would come from that. I think that that was then the largest public spend on a tourist attraction in Europe, and people would laugh at you if you talked about the economic and job impacts of that. Grand Central station, whilst important for transport —

I will give way, sure.

Thank you. I agree with the Member. I had the, I suppose, unfortunate reality of going as a kid to watch Antrim get hammered by Derry most championship years. The Member for Foyle is probably laughing at that. I agree with the Member; I just criticise the point that was made not just by the Member for West Belfast but by others about the economic impact. I am not saying that it does not exist, but it is generally —

Sure.

I agree with the Member on that. The point that I am making is about the types of jobs: will they be in the service industry and hospitality, where people are usually underpaid and often in non-unionised positions? That point stands, although the Member made valid points. The Member for South Down Sinéad Ennis talked about the TUV poking people in the eye: I do not disagree with that. She went on to criticise unionism: I agree with some of those criticisms, but I remind her that her party is in government with the biggest unionist party in this place. As another Member mentioned, Ms Ennis said that she had a speech that she would not use but went on to use it anyway. That is her prerogative. Some would say that that was performative, and some would say other things about it. She tried to lecture me and my party on the GAA. When Members do that, it means that they have nothing else to criticise the amendment for.

You did not give way to me, so no, thanks. Manners cost nothing and all that. I am used to Sinn Féin misrepresenting my and my party's views on the issue. That is by the by.

I will make some progress. I am used to that, but they also misrepresent the concerns of people who live in the vicinity of Casement Park, in places such as Stockmans, Mooreland, Owenvarragh and elsewhere. At a deeper level, Sinn Féin knows that it botched this stage of the Casement Park development, and it is frustrated and angry about that. If I were a Sinn Féin Member, I would be as well. The Member for North Belfast, who is no longer in the Chamber, was robust as usual but reluctant to give way. Comrade Carroll says to him — big, bad Brett

— that he needs to listen to the truth. I was proud to stand with the residents of Andietown. That was not a picket line; a picket line involves striking workers. I may educate the Member about that on another day. I stand with them in their protest to say that they are for the development of the stadium in principle and in practice but criticise the particular development that was proposed. It is possible to do both, and that is not rocket science. People grasp that, even when Members misrepresent it. Some Members mentioned their concern about singling out the GAA. I made that point directly to Timothy Gaston yesterday and made it in my speech today. Strangely, on the amendment, I find myself agreeing with the Communities Minister, maybe for the first time ever. The amendment covers other stadiums as well; it explicitly does not single out the GAA. Members should genuinely read the amendment; I am not being facetious.

I cannot address that in 10 seconds. I know that the Member tried to intervene earlier. The point stands.

OK.

819 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.

Assessment

Not flagged

Jev’s structured answers

Assessed 21 October 2026 at 14:51 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.

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