Páraic Duffy says selling Croke Park naming rights ‘unlikely’

It probably won't happen during his term as director general but Páraic Duffy has admitted the GAA would be open to selling the naming rights to Croke Park. The Sky Arena, perhaps?

Duffy was addressing several ongoing funding issues for the association, including the need to direct more money into the so-called weaker counties. Speaking in Croke Park at the announcement of the latest round of Government funding – €2.7 million awarded to help the GAA increase participation – Duffy also admitted that other stadiums, such as Páirc Uí Chaoimh, might be considering naming rights in the more immediate future.

"There's nothing against stadium naming rights," he said. "We have Kingspan Breffni Park etc. So we've accepted the principle of it. And if Cork came to us with a proposal [for Páirc Uí Chaoimh], we'd certainly look at it. It would be up to them to come up with a proposal.

Near future

“We have never had any offers on Croke Park, nor have we sought it. It has never been discussed, really. That’s for the GAA to decide. But I don’t see it as likely. I can’t talk for 50 or 100 years down the line. But in the near future I would say, no.”

Also in Croke Park were Philip Browne of the IRFU and John Delaney of the FAI, who together sold the naming rights to the redeveloped Lansdowne Road in early 2009. The 10-year deal with Aviva, which has an option of a five-year extension, is understood to be worth around €45 million, which is evenly split between the two associations.

There are currently five GAA stadiums which have sold their naming rights: Breffni Park (Kingspan), MacHale Park (Elverys), Pearse Park (Glennon Brothers), Dr Cullen Park (Netwatch) and more recently Wexford Park, which this year has agreed a four-year deal with Innovate, a local technology company.

Páirc Uí Chaoimh is currently undergoing a €70 million redevelopment – €30 million of that has come from the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, with the other €40 million coming from the GAA. It was reported last month that the department had some concerns with the cost-benefit analysis of the project, although Duffy was confident this would not stall the redevelopment.

“It’s an issue between Cork and the department in terms of documentation, but I’m absolutely confident that will be resolved,” says Duffy. “I think the department are looking for information and the way Cork presented that isn’t exactly the way they wanted it, but I’ve no doubt it will be resolved.”

The proposed redevelopment at Casement Park has stalled completely, having failed to secure the necessary planning permission: again, Duffy was confident this project would soon be back on track. “I’m confident it can go through, and I’m very committed to it,” he said.

Both Páirc Uí Chaoimh and Casement Park are among the stadiums the GAA plan to make available to the IRFU in their bid for the 2023 Rugby World Cup. With that decision still some way off, Duffy has no fear of either stadium not being completed in time for the final bidding process.

Duffy also addressed the perceived imbalance of central GAA funding, particularly when it came to Dublin – who also benefit from just under €1 million in additional Government/Irish Sports Council funding: that money, which goes back to Bertie Ahern's time as Taoiseach, was under some threat last year, but has, according to Duffy, being secured for the immediate future.

Smaller counties

“We haven’t changed that,” said Duffy. “But we look at the whole picture of funding in terms of all counties, and have in the last year looked at ways of providing more equitable distribution in terms of the smaller counties.

“We also look at how counties do in terms of sponsorship and gate receipts and all that. And this year, for example, there are five hurling counties benefiting, in terms of significant investment – Offaly, Antrim, Westmeath, Carlow, and Laois. We’re looking at ways of supporting some of the weaker football counties too . . . [which does] not necessarily involve a big reduction in what Dublin get from us.

“There is a reality that Dublin is better off because of the fact they can attract more. But they are catering for the biggest population in the country. You have counties like Dublin who have a population of 1.3 or 1.5 million and you have counties like Longford, Monaghan, Fermanagh and Carlow and Cavan who have 20,000 to 50,000, so there is a huge disparity.

“You have to take all those things into account. That’s what we are trying to do, to get a balance.

“It will never mean you’ll get the same amount to everybody. But we have been putting more money the way of counties who need it.”