LAST UPDATE | 16 Jan
TÁNAISTE MICHEÁL MARTIN has said today he is “deeply disappointed and annoyed” at the proposal to change the name of Páirc Uí Chaoimh to Supervalu Park.
The stadium is currently named after the one-time general secretary of the GAA, but a proposal is to be put to Cork board delegates tonight to change the name under a new rights deal with Supervalu.
Padraig Ó Caoimh, the man whom the stadium is named after, was one of the founding members of Nemo Rangers in Cork city, the club that the Tánaiste is connected to.
“Deeply disappointed & annoyed at the proposal to change the name of Páirc Uí Chaoimh,” he posted on X, formerly Twitter.
“Pádraig Uí Chaoimh was a key figure in the formation of the GAA at club and national level. Govt allocated €30m towards the development of the stadium and never sought naming rights.”
Deeply disappointed & annoyed at the proposal to change the name of Páirc Uí Chaoimh.
— Micheál Martin (@MichealMartinTD) January 16, 2024
Pádraig Uí Chaoimh was a key figure in the formation of the GAA at club and national level.
Govt allocated €30m towards the development of the stadium and never sought naming rights.
The grandson of Pádraig Ó Caoimh is amongst those who have spoken out against a proposal.
Dónal Ó Caoimh, Pádraig’s grandson, said he was saddened to learn about the proposal through media reports.
In a statement issued today, Ó Caoimh said his grandfather’s legacy should not be “eradicated” for sponsorship.
He said if the rights deal goes ahead, it will mark the sale of “heritage and narrative for profit”.
“My grandfather’s story inspires young players to dream. You take away the absence of focus on money and corporations from games and you have lost what makes the GAA unique. The cornerstone of the organisation is volunteerism not corporations,” Ó Caoimh said.
Speaking ahead of a Cork County GAA Board meeting tonight to debate the proposal, Ó Caoimh said that the meeting being held behind closed doors is “profoundly undemocratic”.
Thanks @RealPMurphy , as Padraig O'Caoimh's grandson I’m just learning about this decision tonight through the media. Nobody from the GAA reached out to me to tell me this was being discussed. I’m in shock and saddened tonight. https://t.co/Buo1bok8nT
— Dónal Ó Caoimh (@donalocaoimh) January 15, 2024
However, he went on to say that he has faith that the Páirc will retain its original name.
Ó Caoimh added that, to the best of his knowledge, no one in his family was contacted by the GAA about the proposal which is being considered.
The Irish Examiner this week reported that the deal being considered would see Boston Scientific, Statkraft and PepsiCo gaining subsidiary stadium branding privileges in an effort to drum up new sponsorship revenue.
The paper said the deal is for a five-year time period, and could be worth €1.5 million.
Páirc Ui Chaoimh has grappled with debts for years, with stadium losses last year adding up to €331,000.
Kevin O’Donovan, the CEO of Cork GAA, issued a statement which said that his organisation has a “responsibility” to ensure that it is on a firm financial footing.
He added that to that end, it has been seeking ways to secure additional income from sources that meet the “goals and objectives of the wider organisation”.
O’Donovan said that a proposal that includes selling naming rights for the biggest asset under Cork GAA’s control – the Páirc – will be discussed tonight.
“It would be inappropriate to comment ahead of that meeting,” he further said.
O’Donovan added that revenue generated from such an arrangement would be used to help ensure games continue to grow at every level in the years ahead.
The Lord Mayor of Cork Cllr Kieran McCarthy has said that he hopes a compromise can be found to allow Páirc Uí Chaoimh to remain as part of the name for the venue.
He said that a new sponsorship deal is very welcome, but the name of the Páirc is “synonymous with Cork”.
“Pádraig Ó Caoimh led the GAA for 35 years, a man who grew the grassroots of clubs across the country, so there is a massive history there,” McCarthy said on RTÉ Radio One today.
“If it was ‘SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh’ or ‘Páirc Uí Chaoimh with SuperValu’, that would be fantastic. ‘SuperValu Páirc’ is not right, and there is nothing wrong with the name SuperValu. Cork people are proud of Páirc Uí Chaoimh; it is the colosseum of sport in Cork city,” the Mayor suggested.
The Journal has contacted Supervalu for comment.
Written by Eimer McAuley and posted on TheJournal.ie
