Cork GAA insist plans to rebrand Páirc Uí Chaoimh have not been finalised, but say negotiations with SuperValu remain ongoing.
There was fervent public reaction to the proposal of SuperValu Páirc throughout Tuesday, which heaped pressure on officials in the county not to proceed with the commercial arrangement for now.
There was a lengthy in-camera meeting of Cork club delegates on Tuesday night at the Leeside venue and a brief statement was released by Healy Communications on behalf of Cork GAA, which outlined that discussions with SuperValu were ongoing and that no decision had been finalised.
“Cork GAA can confirm that it is in discussions with SuperValu regarding the naming rights for Páirc Uí Chaoimh,” read the statement.
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“While no matter had been finalised prior to the meeting of delegates to the County Board on Tuesday evening, both sides have been conscious of the public debate that followed recent speculation in the media.
“SuperValu and Cork GAA remain committed to continuing their engagement, as both parties share a common interest in supporting Gaelic games across the county, and discussions are continuing.”
It is believed the initial five-year deal was to be worth €250,000 annually for Cork GAA.
[ SuperValu Páirc has a ring to it all right, the ring of desperation in Cork GAAOpens in new window ]
The stadium was named in honour of Pádraig Ó Caoimh, a former Director General of the GAA, when it was opened in 1974. However, the debt built up during the recent redevelopment of the venue has led to Cork GAA exploring avenues at generating income from naming rights.
But over the course of Tuesday afternoon a significant backlash against the move emerged.
“My grandfather embodied the empathy, hospitality, and community spirit that is the essence of the GAA,” stated Pádraig Ó Caoimh’s grandson, Donal Ó Caoimh.
“His dream was inclusivity: to have a GAA-owned pitch in every parish. Under his stewardship, the number of GAA clubs doubled in the country, the GAA became the biggest amateur association of its kind in the world, and the GAA final was brought to New York.”
“It is galling to me that SuperValu would consider making the eradication of my grandfather’s legacy a condition of sponsorship.”
The Lord Mayor of Cork, Kieran McCarthy, asked for a compromise to be found and on Tuesday afternoon even Tánaiste Micheál Martin weighed in on the debate - with his contribution no doubt landing in the unhelpful section with those on Cork’s GAA executive trying to get the agreement over the line.
The former Taoiseach posted on social media: “Deeply disappointed & annoyed at the proposal to change the name of Páirc Uí Chaoimh. Pádraig Uí Chaoimh was a key figure in the formation of the GAA at club and national level.
“Govt allocated €30m towards the development of the stadium and never sought naming rights.”
As the row rumbled onwards throughout the day, rather than the fizz fading out of the discussion it instead moved to centre of the news agenda as the naming rights issue got tossed about on RTÉ Radio’s Liveline - a sure sign the topic was no longer the preserve of the sporting sphere but it had moved towards the national discourse.
Cork’s 1990 All-Ireland winning hurling captain Tomás Mulcahy told RTÉ News he understood the reasons behind the decision of the board but hoped the Páirc Uí Chaoimh name would remain part of the new official title.
“We would love at some stage that Páirc Uí Chaoimh could be retained in some capacity, but we’ve also got to understand and I understand, it is 2024 and for a commercial decision we might have no other choice but to accept it.”
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