Páirc Uí Chaoimh to be renamed SuperValu Páirc in historic rights deal
Páirc Dressing Chaoimh Forts: At Cork Ui The Home Room
A multi-layered naming rights deal for Páirc Uí Chaoimh, worth between €250,000 and €300,000 a year to Cork GAA, will be tabled for County Board delegates to ratify on Tuesday night.
The proposed title sponsor for the stadium’s historic first naming rights will be SuperValu, with Cork’s headquarters to be rebranded SuperValu Páirc or Park.
Three other companies – Boston Scientific, Statkraft and PepsiCo – will also have subsidiary stadium branding privileges as part of the package, believed to be for an initial three years.
The total package, which has been green-lighted by the stadium board, is understood to be worth in the region of €1m up to 2026.
The multi-partner structure of the naming rights decision has been in discussion at executive level in Cork GAA for many months with some business stakeholders keen to hold out for a heavyweight firm to come in and take full rights.
SuperValu's Cork heritage - it is owned by the Musgrave Group that has its headquarters in the city for over 150 years - is understood to be a key argument in favour of the deal.
The cumulative package compares favourably with anything in the Irish marketplace at the moment. Last week, Munster Rugby inked a new deal with Virgin Media for the naming rights to Musgrave Park, the province’s second home. If that agreement was in the same financial ballpark as the previous rights holder, it is worth around €100,000 per annum.
Tuesday’s board meeting will hear how Cork GAA is entering into a series of other environmental and sustainability initiatives with the three stadium brand partners. The push-and-pull argument of Cork GAA's financial imperative will be tempered by traditionalists who will argue for the need to retain Páirc Uí Chaoimh in the stadium name.
Sources say that there was a proposal at stadium board level to call the facility - opened in 1976 and redeveloped in 2017 - SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh, but it is believed this has now been dropped in preference for SuperValu Páirc (or Park).
The collaboration with PepsiCo comes as the Little Island company celebrates its 50th year in Cork and Ireland.
Boston Scientific's Model Farm Road base is one of three Irish bases for the medical devices giant, which export around ten million devices worldwide annually.Statkraft’s just-announced three year partnership with Cork GAA will focus on the promotion of Cork as a national hub for renewable energy generation; encouraging and supporting careers within the local renewable energy industry; sustainability measures across the stadium; green match days, as well as other activities.
The Páirc Uí Chaoimh stadium company filed an operating loss of around €331,000 last year. 'Crippling’ energy costs, along with fixed charges such as rates present major obstacles for the stadium to cut into its overall debt, which stands stubbornly north of €30m. Croke Park has already signed off on a revised 25-year loan agreement which allows Cork GAA a longer-term approach to repaying the debt.
CEO Kevin O’Donovan told delegates at Convention: “2024 will see the return of rugby and concerts to the stadium as it seeks to fulfil a municipal agenda. Such high scale and indeed expensive physical assets simply must be utilised at every part possible opportunity and as we do not have access to a sufficient number of games in our own Association, we must look elsewhere at every opportunity. Yes, there may be sacrifices along the way in terms of scheduling, but all commercial opportunities must be strongly considered if we are to continue to financially support our teams in the manner required.”
Executives are keen to get the deal across the line in advance of the start of the Allianz League and the February 3rd sellout rugby game between Munster and Super Rugby powerhouse, the Crusaders.
Going back to 2016, Cork GAA have been pursuing the sale of the naming rights of Páirc Uí Chaoimh. SuperValu have been the associate sponsors of the All-Ireland senior football championship for the last 14 years and are set to do so again this season. They have also been sponsoring the county’s senior ladies footballers going back to 2014 as well a number of clubs such as Ballincollig and Carrigaline.
Currently, 17 other counties have sold naming rights to county grounds – TUS Gaelic Grounds (Limerick), FBD Semple Stadium (Tipperary), Chadwicks Wexford Park (Wexford), Echelon Park (Wicklow), UPMC Nowlan Park (Kilkenny), Netwatch Cullen Park (Carlow), Laois Hire O’Moore Park (Laois), Cedral St Conleth’s Park (Kildare), Glenisk O’Connor Park (Offaly), TEG Cusack Park (Westmeath), Glennon Brothers Pearse Park (Longford), Protection and Prosperity Louth Training Centre (Louth), Kingspan Breffni (Cavan), Box-It Athletic Grounds (Armagh), O’Neills Healy Park (Tyrone), AvantMoney Páirc Seán MacDiarmada (Leitrim) and Hastings Insurance MacHale Park (Mayo).
#GotCork Place, history & memory matter in Cork, sad to hear the memory of Pádraig Ó Caoimh v much eliminated; Corkonian, IRA volunteer & 35 years developing the GAA in the early Irish Free State; a huge legacy left; his story still matters; rethink on re-naming NB #proudofCork https://t.co/a7w5l5KmiD
— Cllr Kieran McCarthy (@cllrkmac) January 15, 2024
However, all of the counties named after past GAA officials retained their original name, combining it with the sponsor. Páirc Ui Chaoimh was named after former Cork secretary and national GAA general secretary Pádraig Ó Caoimh. The Roscommon-born Ó Caoimh served as GAA general secretary for 35 years between 1929 and 1964.
Commenting on the news this evening, Lord Mayor of Cork Kieran McCarthy said: "Place, history & memory matter in Cork, sad to hear the memory of Pádraig Ó Caoimh v much eliminated; Corkonian, IRA volunteer & 35 years developing the GAA in the early Irish Free State; a huge legacy left; his story still matters; rethink on re-naming."
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