At some point hope gives way to reality. For several of the current Antrim squad, their dreams of playing in the new Casement Park are rapidly fading.
The project has been hit by several high-profile delays and a judicial review is expected to be heard this week with a final ruling coming before Easter.
The Mooreland and Owenvarragh Residents Association (MORA) is challenging the Infrastructure Minister Nichola Mallon’s decision to grant planning permission to Casement Park last July.
Read more: Common sense prevails over Corrigan Park controversy says Antrim ace Ryan Murray
Some residents in the local area are opposed to the size and scale of the project with Ulster GAA hoping to finally get the green light to build the 34,000-capacity stadium.
The GAA has, on several occasions, reiterated its support for the Casement Park project.
However, some Antrim players now believe that they’ll be retired from inter-county duty by the time it eventually is completed.
At 28 years of age, Ryan Murray doesn’t know how many years he has left wearing the Saffron jersey, but he knows he might not play for Antrim in the new Casement.
“I think a bit of realism has set in, especially now I’m considered in that older bracket of players with the likes of Mick McCann and my brother Conor,” said Murray.
“Maybe if I play as long as those pair, I'll still have a good few years in me yet!
“I think from my age group up, in recent years we’ve come to realise that we probably won’t get the chance to play in Casement for the county again.
“It is up to us now to make strides forward to try and get the county into a better position so that when Casement comes, we are playing in the higher divisions and we are competing more in Ulster.
“It is annoying as you’d love to play in Casement. When you were a ball-boy as a kid, that’s all you thought about. I was lucky enough to go to Casement often – sometimes I didn’t even know who was playing, but you still went down.”
The recent debacle around Antrim’s ability to stage their forthcoming Ulster Senior Football Championship game against Cavan at Corrigan Park highlighted the need for Casement Park to be built in Murray’s view.
It isn’t just the players who are missing out. Murray is anxious that the young Gaels of Belfast and Antrim don’t have the opportunity to visit a state-of-the-art stadium to watch their heroes.
“The last time I played a match in Casement was 2013,” added Murray.
“By the time Casement gets built, more than 10 years will have passed without having Casement as a centrepiece for Antrim GAA.
“You could have had kids starting primary school in 2013 and they’ll be halfway through secondary school by the time Casement is built. That’s a widder annoyance for me when talking about home draws – how many kids are missing out watching games in Casement?
“You think of the young boys and girls now who don’t have that. It is so important for the Belfast area especially competing with other sports.
“It is the damage it is doing to the future of Antrim GAA and Gaelic Games in Belfast, especially when you see the facilities at Ulster Rugby with the Kingspan Stadium and with soccer at Windsor Park.”
Antrim’s hopes of gaining promotion to Division Two were dented by their loss to Louth in Ardee last Sunday. They’ll need to win their final game this weekend and hope Limerick slip up against Fermanagh.
The Saffons will welcome Westmeath to their adopted home at Corrigan Park for their final League game this weekend.
Antrim Gaels will be hoping there is some positive news regarding their spiritual home in the near future.
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