Páirc Uí Chaoimh emerges as potential new site for Cork Event Centre

Developer Michael O’Flynn suggests stadium-adjacent site as fresh option as long-delayed Cork Event Centre project progresses

Páirc Uí Chaoimh and the adjacent 4G pitch could be in contention for the planned Event Centre for Cork after developer Michael O'Flynn raised the prospect on Friday. Picture: Larry Cummins 

Páirc Uí Chaoimh could be in contention as the site for the planned Cork Event Centre after developer Michael O'Flynn raised the prospect on Friday.

Mr O'Flynn, chair and CEO of the O'Flynn Group, made the proposal at an event attended by Taoiseach Micheál Martin and Cork GAA chief executive Kevin O'Donovan.

He said Cork GAA must maximise the earning potential of Páirc Uí Chaoimh, and that adjacent land at the current 4G pitch could accommodate a new Event Centre.

Two proposals have already been confirmed for the stalled Event Centre project: the BAM Beamish and Crawford site on South Main Street — the originally planned location — and a Docklands site proposed by Marina Market owner Tom Coughlan. A third proposal at the 4G pitch at Páirc Uí Chaoimh would now also be considered, with backing from Mr O'Flynn.

Addressing guests at the Annual One Cork Dublin lunch at the Clayton Burlington Hotel, Mr O'Flynn said a key goal for Cork GAA is to develop its own Centre of Excellence, but challenges remain in managing the stadium debt, which is believed to exceed €30m.

"One ambition is to use SuperValu Páirc Ui Chaoimh to its full revenue generating potential, and aside from maximising new revenue streams from sport and music events, I would also like to see a focus on Páirc Ui Chaoimh for the long mooted Cork Event Centre which I believe should be an Exhibition Centre to include an Event Centre at the 4G pitch," said Mr O'Flynn.

A third proposal at the 4G pitch at Páirc Uí Chaoimh would now also be considered, with backing from Mr O'Flynn. Picture: Larry Cummins

Speaking to the Irish Examiner, Mr O'Flynn said the proposal has been in the offing for a while. "We are putting the concept out there. If it is not of interest, that’s fine. I can assure you it is a serious proposal. It is a concept that should be considered."

He said that what is being looked at currently in Cork is an event centre only. “This proposal is very different. The scale is much greater than an events centre. An exhibition centre would have a lot more options open to it, like trade and sport, a whole range of activities. That’s something that’s not currently available in Ireland. Other countries have them, we don’t.” 

Mr O’Flynn, who is a director of the Pairc Ui Chaoimh stadium, said the proposal was not an O’Flynn Group project. While the proposal has not been costed, he said the cost would depend on the appetite, the scale, the design and the structure.

Plans for the Event Centre have gained momentum under a new project development board, chaired by Cork City Council assistant chief executive Brian Geaney, which has met monthly since January 2025. This week, the preliminary business case for the project was approved, marking a key step in the tendering process.

"The City Council will now begin the Suitability Assessment Questionnaire (SAQ) process - the first of a two-stage process of procurement for the Event Centre" a City Council spokesperson said.  

This stage precedes tendering for a final contract and will indicate that the construction value of the Cork Event Centre is expected to be in the region of €150m to €200m. The SAQ process will identify "suitably qualified and experienced consortia with the capability to build, partially fund and operate a project of this scale and complexity".

The SAQ process will be open across the EU, with submissions evaluated and shortlisted.

The procurement process is being overseen by global project management firm AECOM, which has an office in Cork.

Early proposals for the Event Centre suggested a capacity of 3,000 to 6,000, though the CEO of the Everyman Theatre has proposed a smaller venue of closer to 2,000 seats to attract major theatre and West End touring productions, warning a larger venue could risk becoming a "big empty room".

The One Cork GAA lunch, organised by Cork GAA, was attended by around 500 guests, including Mr Martin, Mr O'Donovan, GAA president Jarlath Burns, GPA CEO Tom Parsons, Cork GAA chair Pat Horgan, Cork hurling and football managers Ben O’Connor and John Cleary, Minister of State Jerry Buttimer, and former players. Business leaders in attendance included Dermot Crowley of Dalata, UCC governing authority chair and Accelerating Infrastructure Taskforce chair Seán O'Driscoll, Tara McCarthy of Alltech, and Declan Cullinane of Amarenco.

Housing 'biggest issue of our generation'

Mr O'Flynn also addressed Ireland's housing crisis, describing it as the "biggest issue of our generation".

"While some progress is being made, we are still no where near building the 50,000 new homes a year that are needed. As an organisation with influence the length and breadth of the country, the GAA is ideally placed to identify and actively lobby for development in locations that will support sustaining and developing clubs and communities all over Ireland. 

"It is time to use that knowledge to directly shape planning at every level – the National Planning Framework, the National Development Plan and local County Development Plans. To do this seriously, the GAA needs a fully equipped, properly staffed strategic planning function – one that can engage from club level right up to national policy level, and ensure that assets like Pairc Ui Chaoimh are being maximised to their full potential for the communities they serve. This is something I’m very passionate about and would like to see actioned directly by the GAA.” 

Broadcaster Matt Cooper was MC at the event.