by Patrick Nelson talks so convincingly about Northern Ireland’s Euro 2028 finals that one might consider the truth involved. “Our attitude is that when you put an obstacle in front of us, we clear it and we ask what lies ahead,” says the chief executive of Cumann Lúthchleas Gael. “We are relentless in bringing this competition here. Belfast deserves it, Northern Ireland deserves it. It will be great if and when it happens.”
Nelson appears to have been in a precarious position with the UK and Republic of Ireland bidding for these finals. At that time, as now, Northern Ireland did not have a stadium that met Uefa’s 30,000 capacity criteria. The complete rebuilding of MacEasmain Park, the Gaelic sports ground in west Belfast, is central to Belfast’s role.
Related: Euro 2028: unfinished stadiums are part of the UK and Ireland bid
Last Monday morning, the gates of MacEsman opened and land clearing work was underway. Within 24 hours, what Nelson considers a “very significant and symbolic” €50m (£42.8m) had been pledged to the project. This scheme, which has caused controversy and negative publicity, has suddenly come to an end.
“The reality is that Northern Ireland is an integral part of the UK and it was clear to us from day one that this was a UK-wide proposition,” says Nelson. “It wasn’t in Britain, it was the United Kingdom. We had a common cause, we believed that we were stronger together in terms of the offer and it has been a great partnership so far.
“We were sure we weren’t just here for the ride. We saw this as an opportunity to change the face of Northern Ireland. Sport makes such a difference, football is the biggest sport in the world and if we can bring some of the third biggest sporting competition in the world to Belfast… imagine the changes that can be made. So it was never difficult to go in and bat every day for Northern Ireland.
“When you see something, you start to believe it. Good news for the GAA is the start of the clearance work at MacEsmain [Gaelic Athletic Association], good news for the offer. There is still a long way to go and more hurdles to overcome but it was a great moment.”
Michelle O’Neill, the first minister of Northern Ireland, announced MacEsmain as a “long overdue flagship project”. The Democratic Unionist Party was much more vague on MacEsmond’s fate; aware, no doubt, of the reluctance that is based on their vote to accept football in a Gaelic stadium. Fans expressed their dismay at this at the Northern Ireland games. Nelson is unmoved. “Football was played in Croke Park, rugby was played in Croke Park, Ulster Rugby was played in Cavan recently,” he says. “There are a lot more mixes than people think.
“If we bring the games to Belfast it will make a big difference to our society, our people and our attitude. We – and I don’t mean the Irish FA, I mean the 1.9m community in Northern Ireland – will be able to say afterwards ‘we helped deliver that’. Northern Ireland will be able to say, we are not what you think we used to be.
“People have a right to protest. They have a right to express their feelings. We have always had a close relationship with supporters, we meet with the clubs on a regular basis. We obviously have different views on this at this point but we keep those relationships open and positive.”
The last two paragraphs of the ‘Defending the Union’ paper, which was central to the Northern Ireland executive’s recent return to office, turned heads. Under “sporting and cultural support links” came items related only to football and in particular “the success of the Euro 28 bid”. Still, funding questions remain clear as the clock winds down.
In 2011, £61m was set aside for each of the three main football, Gaelic and rugby venues in Belfast. As Windsor Park and Knocknafiach were modernized, MacEsman sat untouched amid a planning objection that has since been quashed. Chris Heaton-Harris, secretary of state for Northern Ireland, has said that the UK government will offer funding but it is widely estimated that the total bill for MacEsmond is now close to £200m.
Arguably of greater interest – and potential conflict – is the Irish FA’s insistence that £36m of sub-regional funding left over from the Windsor Park redevelopment, always intended to fund local football stadiums, should be increased to £120m now. Northern Ireland was never covered in the Taylor Report, and the league’s grounds are usually in need of a major upgrade. “That’s a legacy we want to fight for,” Nelson insists. “A football tournament should have a football legacy and one for many years. We want to be able, on the grounds, to modernize by bringing the Euros here.
“I think the intention of all the partners is to get Casement built in time for the Euros. We would hope for a legacy for football at the same time.”
It will be three decades since the Good Friday Agreement was signed at the opening game of Euro 2028. Northern Ireland does not want to be seen as your party’s close neighbours. “It’s not about five football games or whatever,” Nelson says. “It’s about what we can do for the country through this. To me, it could be one of the most important moments of the last 30 years. It’s a great opportunity.”
