Jimmy Barry-Murphy (JBM) believes SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh is a sensible compromise to the naming rights conundrum concerning the Leeside venue.
A 10-year commercial agreement has been reached by Cork GAA and the retailer, with the proposal to go before club delegates at a specially convened meeting on Thursday night where it is expected to be approved.
The deal with SuperValu will be worth approximately €250,000 per annum for Cork GAA, while there are also smaller subsidiary branding rights deals at the stadium with three other companies: Boston Scientific, PepsiCo and Statkraft.
There was a public backlash over initial plans to rename the ground SuperValu Páirc, but SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh appears to be a more palatable suggestion.
JBM, one of Cork’s most famous sons, believes it is a pragmatic solution.
“My immediate reaction is that it’s a sensible outcome,” said the most celebrated dual player in the history of the GAA. “Obviously, the people of Cork were very anxious to keep the Páirc Uí Chaoimh connection attached to the name. I think it’s a sensible compromise.”
JBM, who also managed the Cork senior hurlers on two occasions, believes it is a responsible approach by Cork GAA chiefs to try to generate revenue from sponsorship — especially considering the €30 million debt lingering from the stadium redevelopment.
“Costs of running a county like Cork are massive, the day-to-day running costs were mentioned at [the] annual convention and they were frightening,” he added. “The reality is the county board here in Cork have a major deficit in relation to the stadium, there is a huge work going on with development squads and the day-to-day running costs of all teams in Cork, and that all comes at a massive cost.
“It is a constant drain on the board’s resources and I honestly think they have to do something to address that and I think this is a happy compromise for everybody.”
When details emerged a fortnight ago of plans to rebrand the venue as SuperValu Páirc, the news was met with a strong public outcry — among those was Tánaiste Micheál Martin and Pádraig Ó Caoimh’s grandson, Donal Ó Caoimh.
The stadium was named in honour of Pádraig Ó Caoimh, a former director general of the GAA, when it was opened in 1974. And JBM could understand why there was a backlash to those initial soundings.
“Cork people are very proud of the name and rightly so because of the stature of the man who was remembered when the stadium was named. I think this is a very welcome compromise on both sides and I think it can only be good for the GAA in Cork.”
[ Páirc Uí Chaoimh Q&A: All you need to know about naming rights controversyOpens in new window ]
Cork chief executive Kevin O’Donovan told RTÉ's Morning Ireland on Wednesday that he was hopeful clubs would back the deal at Thursday’s meeting.
“We expect a very positive response when we go back to our delegates tomorrow night with the good news,” he said.
Donal Ó Caoimh had been hugely critical of the initial rebranding proposal and critical of Cork GAA for not engaging with the family.
“My grandfather embodied the empathy, hospitality, and community spirit that is the essence of the GAA,” he said at the time. “It is galling to me that SuperValu would consider making the eradication of my grandfather’s legacy a condition of sponsorship.”
However, he has now come out to back this 10-year agreement.
“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,” said Ó Caoimh.
“SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh balances our heritage, narrative and identity against financial necessity.”
The early-morning release of the news followed quickly by a show of public support from the Ó Caoimh family suggests Cork GAA had covered their bases on this occasion.
[ SuperValu Páirc has a ring to it all right, the ring of desperation in Cork GAAOpens in new window ]
The Tánaiste was in Belfast on Wednesday as discussions over the small matter of powersharing continued, but when asked about developments in Cork he too had warmed to the not insignificant name tweak.
“I think it’s a reasonable compromise, I’m pleased with the compromise,” he said. “I think it marries economic necessity on the one hand with protecting heritage and recognition of an individual Pádraig Ó Caoimh who did extraordinary work in the establishment of the Gaelic Athletic Association, who was a founding member of my club Nemo Rangers, so it did get personal in that sense.”
And while the name is seen as an agreeable halfway house, O’Donovan rejected suggestions put to him on RTÉ that it was a climbdown from the board’s original plan.
“I wouldn’t phrase it as a climbdown, we were going through a process and unfortunately there was a leak before we got to organise a consultation process with our clubs,” he said. “We are aware of all the commentary, there was no influence from Government, no interference, we had no communication with Government throughout this process.
“We are very much accountable to our clubs, that is our decision-making process, that is our approval process.
“We have had very healthy discussions with SuperValu after the last few weeks and we are really positive with the outcome now, it’s the best outcome for both sides, very good commercially for us, very good in terms of partnerships from them.
“There is a legacy debt of over €30 million still on the stadium from the construction process. We are fighting that on all fronts, we will continue to do so by growing our games, by winning All-Irelands, by engaging commercial parties, so we are on a war footing on all fronts to redress the balance.”
Of the 32 counties on the island, 16 county grounds have commercial deals concerning naming rights and Cork will now increase that to 17. The number is expected to grow even further over the coming years as more county boards explore commercial arrangements with stadium naming rights.
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