Kerry County Board not impressed by 'cheap publicity stunt'

KERRY County Board are up in arms over what was described last night as 'a cheap publicity stunt,' after the release of a press statement purporting to link the All-Ireland champions with the Belfast-based sports company Gaelic Gear.

Instantly rebutted as 'a non-story,' it was touted as potentially 'the most lucrative' in GAA history - worth a cool million euro.

Board officers were taken by surprise when contacted in the afternoon and asked about the reported deal. County Secretary Eamonn O'Sullivan said they only realised the full implications of the story when they were forwarded the e-mail that had been circularised to the national media. It included a photograph of Association President Sean Kelly, who had attended a Gaelic Gear launch in Croke Park last summer, after the company had received an official license.

The statement reported that Gaelic Gear were 'in discussions' with the Kerry Board to become the official supplier of gear to the All-Ireland champions. It added: "It is understood that Gaelic Gear representatives will meet with the Kerry officials tonight (Monday)."

It also attributed remarks to company Managing Director Paul Campbell which 'indicated' that while the precise details of any agreement remained a matter of confidentiality,' a partnership with Kerry would bring in around e1 million. And it pointed out that Gaelic Gear offered counties a 'partnership model' under which a fixed percentage of replica gear in a county is repaid to the Board.

"There was never any negotiations, just a courtesy meeting with (former Kerry footballer) Vincent O'Connor, who is a newly appointed representative with Gaelic Gear,'' said Eamonn O'Sullivan.

"Basically, he knew we have a deal with O'Neills, which we have.

Basically, he wanted to talk to us in general about possibly doing business with the clubs. That was all what it was - nothing else.'' Mr O'Sullivan added that the officers had been very disappointed when they saw the statement. "I think it was a very cheap publicity stunt and I think Gaelic Gear will come out of it badly.

"It's not the way Kerry County Board or any other body in the GAA should do their business.'' Adding that they made their views known to the company, he said that every effort was being made by the company last night to get the PR company to withdraw their statement and issue a new one.

"We are expecting they will do that eventually.

"We feel very hard one by. When you are doing business you like to be up front with everybody. Only for being contacted by media people we would not have known anything about this until it hit the papers tomorrow morning.''