Páirc Uí Chaoimh: How colossal debt precipitated a move with wider implications for society 

The prospect of accepting a name change for the stadium if sponsors want it sets a very dangerous precedent, one with a commercial rather than an emotional basis

The overrun on Páirc Uí Chaoimh's upgrade left Cork County Board facing a €30m bill. Picture: Larry Cummins

This week’s rolling controversy about the proposed sponsorship deal for Páirc Uí Chaoimh involving SuperValu has a little bit of everything. It’s a sports story and a business yarn, a local headline and a national tale. Economics and values. Music. Implications for society. For the GAA as a whole.

How did we get here? Refurbishing the Gaelic games facility down the Marina became urgent 50 years ago, and the old Cork Athletic Grounds was replaced by Páirc Uí Chaoimh, which was seen as an impressive, modern stadium when it opened back in 1976.