Name of the game: Cork GAA's 10-year Páirc Uí Chaoimh deal with SuperValu worth around €3m

Cork GAA chief: 'As part of this process, we continue to engage with members of the Ó'Caoimh family and keep them informed of developments'

Pairc Ui Chaoim

CORK GAA and SuperValu have inked a ten-year naming rights deal for Páirc Uí Chaoimh that could net over €3m for the cash-strapped body and overcomes the controversy over what to call the stadium.

The parties announced the deal early Wednesday on SuperValu Páirc U Chaoimh, with Cork GAA to ratify at a special Board meeting Thursday night.

With subsidiary stadium sponsorship from three other companies agreed, the expectation is that the new deals should net the stadium over €5m.

The Irish Examiner revealed advanced talks between Cork GAA and the retailer over a week ago, but the deal hit a roadblock when it emerged that the ground was to be known as SuperValu Páirc - dropping the name of Padraig O'Caoimh, after whom the ground was named in 1976.

Subsequent talks between the parties, and with the O'Caoimh family, have smoothed out the creases, allowing Cork CEO Kevin O'Donovan to confirm Wednesday: “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. 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 O’Caoimh family and keep them informed of developments.” 

It is not known at this juncture if Cork GAA had to take a so-called 'haircut' on the original deal to ensure the 'O Caoimh' was retained in the stadium name. SuperValu had an original agreement from the stadium board to call the ground SuperValu Stadium, but the backlash, allied to publicly stated disappointment from the O'Caoimh family, made that too difficult to proceed with.

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 ten years. Combined, the sense is that the new stadium rights agreement will be worth between €350-400,000 a year for Cork GAA.

All parties cut a dash to finalise the agreement in time for Saturday's sold-out Munster rugby game against the Super Rugby champions, the Crusaders. Cork's next men's inter-county fixture at the newly named ground is Cork's Allianz HL tie against Kilkenny on Saturday, February 10th.

The agreements on the stadium rights will be worth around €400,000 a year to Cork GAA.

SuperValu Managing Director, Ian Allen stated: “I am delighted to confirm that SuperValu has agreed to acquire the naming rights to the newly titled SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh. This partnership is a natural fit. (We) 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."

SuperValu is part of the Musgrave Group, with a network of 222 community-based stores across the country. SuperValu currently sponsors the All-Ireland SFC plus the Cork Senior Ladies Football Team.