GAA president Jarlath Burns has said he is “disappointed” with the DUP’s Gordon Lyons for failing to engage with the association in relation to the redevelopment of Casement Park.

Speaking at the GAA's Annual Congress in Donegal town on Saturday, Burns said the focus of the GAA was to build a stadium for Ulster GAA after losing out on the chance to host games as part of Euro 2028.

When he was asked to provide an update on the future of the west Belfast venue, Burns gave a timeline of his dealings with the Communities Minister.

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“I spoke extensively about Casement in my speech, I gave the facts about Casement - that’s how I like to operate,” said Burns.

“Facts are that the person who we need to champion this is Gordon Lyons. We are disappointed with how he has performed so far.

“What does that mean? When we met him on the 31st of October, when arising out of that meeting, we had three action points for him to do. The first one was that he was going to write to Hilary Benn (Secretary of State for Northern Ireland) asking for a meeting to see was he going to come up with the money on our behalf, because he’s operating on behalf of the Executive and that’s their priority.

“The second thing he was going to do was to put it on the agenda for the Executive.

“The third thing he was going to do was to identify areas where Ulster GAA could begin work, demolishing work, as it stands with what they have, with work that mightn’t need a tender. That was the 31st of October. I wrote to him on the 20th of December asking where he had got to with those action points.

“And I’m still waiting for a reply. And it’s February 22nd. If you just put that into context, the president of the biggest sporting organisation in Ireland is in contact through writing and he hasn’t still received an acknowledgment that he wrote to the Minister.

“If you compare that to Charlie McConalogue (Irish Minister for Sport), who has just been appointed, I’ve now had two meetings with him. I was in Ballybofey and he came here to see me at Congress and we’re meeting at the Taoiseach next week.”

The comments from the GAA president follow similar remarks from Ulster GAA secretary Brian McAvoy in December when, in his annual report, said Lyons was “not particularly enthused” at the prospect of Euro 2028 games being played at Casement.

Mr Lyons replied in the Assembly in January, telling MLAs: “Let me make something very clear when it comes to Casement Park, I have fulfilled the requirements that are upon me."

However, Burns also questioned why Lyons has yet to attend a GAA game despite Ulster counties dominating the football landscape in 2024.

“He has yet to attend a match of hurling or football,” continued Burns.

“And if you look at the success that the GAA has had in the last year in Ulster, and what we won, and he hasn’t attended any of those. I understand that it’s a difficulty attending games on a Sunday, but Armagh played Tyrone Saturday night a week ago in front of 14,000 people. I don’t know if he would know whether it’s on or not?

“So, I don’t want to be negative. We have to work with these people, but I also want to be realistic about what we’re dealing with and how challenging the landscape is for us and for Stephen McGeehan, Brian McAvoy, Tom Daly, people who are living this every day. They are becoming extremely frustrated. So, I wish I could be optimistic, but unfortunately, it’s really only pessimism on Casement at the moment.”

Burns also lambasted unionist politicians for their failure to condemn signs erected in Randalstown last week that described the GAA as "the sporting wing of the IRA”.

“Last week there was a series of signs, very, very insulting signs on the GAA going up in Randalstown, really threatening signs,” stated the Armagh native.

“Not one member of the unionist politicians have condemned it or had anything to say on it.

“So, we are operating in a very hostile environment, there’s no doubt about it, and it’s disappointing to say that because of all the work we do reaching out. That’s where we are.”

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