Cork GAA stadium to be renamed SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh in 10-year deal
Cork's iconic stadium is to be renamed SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh. Picture: Brendan Moran/Sportsfile
Cork GAA's iconic Páirc Uí Chaoimh is to be renamed SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh as part of a new 10-year deal.
The partnership was confirmed on Wednesday with "the matter of naming rights" to be finalised at a special meeting of delegates to the Cork County Board on Thursday.
With subsidiary stadium sponsorship from three other companies agreed, the expectation is that the new deals should net the stadium over €5m.
The first reported plans for the stadium to be renamed SuperValu Páirc earlier this month.
It revealed a multi-layered naming rights deal for Páirc Uí Chaoimh, worth between €250,000 and €300,000 a year to Cork GAA. However, the proposal was paused for further talks after a public backlash over the plans.
The stadium's debt remains over €30m primarily due to no concerts being staged at the venue last year.
In a statement on Wednesday morning, Cork GAA said: "Naming rights for the stadium are part of a broader commercial strategy by Cork GAA which is supported by One Cork.
"This aims to put Cork GAA on a stable financial footing to help develop the game at both local and county level."
Cork GAA CEO Kevin O’Donovan said the deal was "a step in the right direction" for the county.
“We are very excited to embark on a new journey with our partners in SuperValu, a retailer that has community and family at its core. We are confident that they will bring these shared values to the future of the home of Cork GAA," he said.
"The realisation of naming rights is another step in the right direction and shows the value that the Cork GAA brand retains as we continue to expand our commercial model in support of our games. As part of this process, we continue to engage with members of the Ó Caoimh family and keep them informed of developments."
Cork County Executive Chairperson Pat Horgan said they are "absolutely delighted" with the new deal.
"The Páirc has been an iconic part of Cork’s history and we are very excited about the next chapter of this fantastic stadium."
SuperValu managing director Ian Allen said he was "delighted" that SuperValu "has agreed to acquire the naming rights to the newly titled SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh".
"SuperValu has acquired the naming rights to SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh for 10 years, building further on our commitment to community sponsorships and our dedication to the GAA."
It is not known at this juncture if Cork GAA had to take a so-called 'haircut' on the original deal to ensure the 'Ó Caoimh' was retained in the stadium name. SuperValu had an original agreement from the stadium board to call the ground SuperValu Stadium.
However, Mr O'Donovan told RTÉ radio that the deal was a "win-win" and said there was no influence or interference from the Government regarding the naming of the stadium. He added that they expect a "very positive" response when they bring the plan to delegates on Thursday.
SuperValu, part of the Musgrave Group, currently sponsors the All-Ireland SFC plus the Cork Senior Ladies Football Team.
Three other companies – Boston Scientific, Statkraft and PepsiCo – will also have subsidiary stadium branding privileges as part of the package, though it is not stated whether their agreements extend to 10 years.
Dónal Ó Caoimh, the grandson of the man after whom the stadium is named, also welcomed the deal. Mr Ó Caoimh, who learned about the original proposal through the media, had expressed concern about the removal of Pádraig Ó Caoimh's name from the stadium.
He said on social media: "I am absolutely delighted today to give my full support to the compromise that has been reached regarding the GAA stadium named after my grandfather. SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh balances our heritage, narrative, and identity against financial necessity."
The stadium was first opened in 1904 as the Cork Athletic Grounds. It went on to host a variety of sports before being repurposed as Páirc Uí Chaoimh in 1976 — being named after Pádraig Ó Caoimh. He was born in Roscommon in 1898 but moved to Cork City at an early age, and by 1911, is recorded as living with his family on Quaker Road.
He helped organise the Tailteann Games and the Eucharistic Congress in Croke Park in 1932 and helped stage the 1947 All-Ireland Senior Football Final in the Polo Grounds, New York. Crucially, he spearheaded a drive to have a GAA-owned pitch in every parish.
The number of pitches increased from 1,500 clubs in 1929 to more than 3,000 by 1963, with 400 grounds owned and properly vested in the GAA.
Páirc Uí Chaoimh underwent an extensive renovation in 2014 before reopening in 2017, costing just shy of €100m.
When planning permission for the 45,000-capacity stadium was granted in 2014, the redevelopment project was budgeted to cost €70m. But at a special county board meeting in November 2015, clubs were told the final cost would likely exceed €78m.
In December 2017, then outgoing county board chairman Ger Lane confirmed to the that the final bill for redevelopment would run over €86m, €16m above the initial estimated cost when contractors were appointed to the project.
Twelve months later, Croke Park stadium director Peter McKenna told the that “we’re probably close to €110m as a final cost” for the Páirc Uí Chaoimh rebuild.
An extensive audit of county board accounts by stadium board members Michael O’Flynn and Tom Gray put the estimated cost of the stadium redevelopment at €95.8m, in February 2019.
A collection of the latest sports news, reports and analysis from Cork.
CONNECT WITH US TODAY
Be the first to know the latest news and updates
