Aer Arann ends Galway sponsor link

ONE of the GAA’s biggest team sponsorship deals has come to an end with Aer Arann ending their relationship with the Galway football teams. The five-year deal between the parties had two more years to run.

The exact amount involved was never revealed by either party, but a figure of around €500,000 over the five years was not denied by either the sponsors or the Galway Football Board at the time of the launch.

Aer Arann chairman, Pádraig Ó Céidigh, a native of Spiddal, who at the sponsorship launch in January 2008 described the link-up with Galway GAA as “one of the proudest moments of my life”, has been involved in Gaelic Games in his native county since his playing days and was also a member of a special task force assembled last year to undertake a review of Galway football.

The airline exited examinership just a few weeks ago after posting multi-million euro losses over a two-and-a-half year period.

It is thought that their sponsorship to the Galway Football Board had been honoured until they entered examinership.

Aer Arann is also a sponsor of the Connacht Rugby team and has a sponsorship agreement with Munster Rugby.

Neither of these is under threat at the moment.

When contacted, Aer Arann said they would not be issuing any statement at the present time.