The SDLP have stated that construction work on Casement Park must begin as soon as possible ahead of Euro 2028.

The party's Sports Spokesperson, Justin McNulty made the comments after Turkey dropped out of bidding to host Euro 2028, leaving Britain and Ireland as the sole contenders to host the tournament.

Casement Park in Belfast has been designated as one of the host stadiums for the sporting tournament.

Newry & Armagh MLA Mr McNulty hopes everyone will pull together and "do whatever's necessary" to get the stadium ready for Euro 2028.

In a statement, Mr McNulty said: "Euro 2028 must be the catalyst to green light Casement and get it built. We need the stadium ready for the 2028 tournament and for that we need to see construction work begin as soon as possible. Casement has been left dormant for too long, this stadium will be a game changer and a fitting state of the art new home for Ulster GAA."

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SDLP West Belfast councillor, Paul Doherty, said: "This is incredibly exciting news for this area with the potential to host European Championship games at a redeveloped Casement Park in the heart of West Belfast. The redevelopment of Casement Park has been an important issue for people here locally who have been left in limbo by the constant delays to this much needed project.

"A modern stadium of this magnitude will be utterly transformational for West Belfast, creating jobs, attracting investment and allowing us to host major sporting events like the Euros and concerts alongside the GAA calendar. I will be working with everyone involved in this project and local residents to ensure that any concerns are addressed and that the finished Casement is a huge success for this area."