The financial mess behind Páirc Uí Chaoimh renaming plans

It’s no secret that Cork GAA is in a financial hole. Rebuilding Páirc Uí Chaoimh went way over budget with a final cost – for the amateur organisation – topping €100 million. Little wonder it is casting around for sources of revenue. Selling the naming rights to the stadium seemed the most straightforward way to bring in much-needed cash – until it wasn’t.

As soon as it leaked at the start of the week that the county board was considering doing a deal with supermarket chain SuperValu to change the name of the 45,000 seater stadium to SuperValu Páirc controversy raged. Tánaiste Micheál’s Martin’s tweet likely stalled the move: he reminded the county board in advance of its Tuesday meeting to ratify the deal, that “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 names of GAA stadiums throughout the country have been changed to reflect commercial sponsorship deals, but as Irish Times sportswriter Malachy Clerkin explains, this is different and is just one symptom of the many problems in Cork GAA.

Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Declan Conlon and John Casey.

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