It's bizarre to see so-called Unionists in Lagan Valley bending over backwards for a project that can only go ahead with an IRA shrine. Leaving aside Poots so called hardline principles on SF/IRA, the fact as Minister for DCAL he is meant to make the decision that is best for Northern Ireland instead of looking after his own personal fiefdom makes his actions disgusting. I read recently that a Belfast stadium would be two thirds the cost of the proposed Maze one.

Even poor old Reg Empey has come under fire with Lisburn UUP councillors threatening to no confidence him and resign the whip in support of the SF/IRA terror dome.

Richard, the £75m estimate for a Belfast-based plan is actually one-third of the £240 million talked about for the Maze: Stadium For Belfast News: Report Identifies "Better Suited" Stadium Sites

Estimated costs for the project have been quoted at around £75 million - less than a third of the estimated cost of the maze

I had a niggling thought at the back of my head I read it was one third but caution kicked in and said it couldn't have been that much less.

On a broader scale I think it significantly weakens the case of the Executive when they go cap in hand to the Treasury. We don't have a strong argument when we squander the vast sums of money we already have on white elephants such as this. When you think of the problems the NHS is going to face here because spending is only rising at two thirds the level in England and Wales you have to wonder what our MLAs priorities are, and whether their bleats a Northern Ireland Government would be more responsive to our needs than a Westminster one.

The major difficulty is that the Shinners have made it clear, that either the Stadium is built at Long Kesh, or it isn't built at all. Even Belfast based Sinn Féin Councillors have (quite incorrectly in my opinion) stopped any proposals for a Stadium in Belfast. Sinn Féin only need Gerry McHugh and 2 SDLP MLAs to veto any attempts to move this stadium to anywhere other than the Maze. I don’t think that will be difficult for them.
Even if Peter Robinson goes against Edwin Poots, and stops the building of the Maze stadium, Sinn Féin will stop Robinson from building a new stadium anywhere in Northern Ireland.

Come on Seamus, even IF the Sinners are prepared to deny funding to the GAA by refusing any alternative proposals for spending this money (I'm sure the GAA would have to get something out of it in the name of equality and all that jazz) I'm sure the DUPes will find something else that they want.

Face it, the Sinners' interests in this are purely political and purely motivated by the 'extras' they think they can get tagged on to the site. To be fair, much of the unionist inhabitants of Stormont don't seem much better.

There's not a single good sporting or economic argument to build this monstrosity at the Maze, but as you said, I'm sure that won't stop the Sinners from stomping and screaming anyway. Unfortunately for them, as I said elsewhere, the Assembly might not necessarily get a say if Belfast City Council can pull their finger out and sort something out, and I don't think the SF reps on the council are numerous enough to prevent it should the rest of the council back it.

Seamus,

You've provided the strongest case against a Maze stadium, that the reason it was chose has nothing to do with giving taxpayers value for money or sport but politics. It says alot about SF and the SDLPs suitability for government if there are prepared to squander tens of millions of pounds for a shrine to terrorists.

"It says alot about SF and the SDLPs suitability for government if there are prepared to squander tens of millions of pounds for a shrine to terrorists."

It also says a lot about the UUP and DUP's suitability for government, as the only reason the majority of them disagree with the Maze is because of the Conflict Transformation Centre. Unionist Politician's opposition to the Maze has nothing to do with sport.

Secondly, most supporters of Sinn Féin do not have a problem with Tax Payers money being used to protect Republican history, so I have no problem with the Conflict Transformation Centre. Let's remember that the State pays millions to commemorate the Security Forces.

Personally, as I have already stated at other occasions, that my problem with this new stadium isn't the location, it's the actual stadium itself. Divide the money, given Casement Park 1/3 of it, give Windsor Park 1/3 and give Ravenhill 1/3 of the it, and enough of this Political Correct bollocks of us all playing happily together.

Seamus, what if, hypothetically, the football and rugby thirds were combined to build a new purpose-built stadium in Belfast (with the GAA spending their third how they see fit, naturally)?

Would you still be so proud of Sinn Fein's stubborn refusal to do what they know is right for sport?

And I almost* agree with you about the unionist politicians by the way. There are enough reasons to oppose the Maze that it shouldn't have taken them to wake up to the terror-shrine to make up their minds.

* I say almost because I think foregoing something you want in order to prevent something you find so repugnant is more justifiable than refusing others something they want, which is inoffensive (the stadium), unless they cede to your demands for something you know is abhorrent to them. That's really another debate I suppose, but I just want to point out that there are a lot of Unionist MLAs who have been found lacking on this front, (with a handful of exceptions).

Firstly, Beano, let me be clear, that I don't support Sinn Féin's stance on a new Stadium.

"Seamus, what if, hypothetically, the football and rugby thirds were combined to build a new purpose-built stadium in Belfast (with the GAA spending their third how they see fit, naturally)?"

The only problem I would have with it would be the chance of a clash in matches. What if Ulster has a match the same night that Northern Ireland has a match? Who gets the priority? As an Ulster fan, I wouldn't want Ulster Rugby to have to concede to the Northern Ireland football team. Other than that I wouldn't have a problem.

In terms of the CTC, it represents an important part of our history. Auschwitz still remains, despite the horror that happened there and the negative connotations that it represents (I am not comparing Holocaust victims to Republican POWs). To prevent the creation of the CTC at the Maze just because Unionists are afraid of it becoming a Republican shrine, is just as wrong as not decommissioning just because the IRA was afraid that Unionists will gloat about it.