Páirc Uí Chaoimh: Cork GAA chief says ‘we are listening to our members’ as talks continue with SuperValu

Cork GAA chief executive Kevin O’Donovan says all options remain on the table regarding the rebranding of Páirc Uí Chaoimh as negotiations with SuperValu continue.

A furious public backlash this week has forced Cork officials to pause on signing off a commercial deal to rename the Leeside venue SuperValu Páirc, with delegates at Tuesday night’s behind-closed-doors county board meeting informed that no decision had been finalised.

There were suggestions by some at the meeting for the Executive to explore the option of finding a workable compromise that could see the venue renamed SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh, and certainly the ambition of Cork officials remains to get some form of deal over the line with the retailer.

Speaking to RTÉ's Marty Morrissey outside the stadium following Tuesday night’s lengthy in-camera summit, O’Donovan said no naming options had been binned.

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“No, discussions continue, so all aspects of the deal will continue to be considered,” he told RTÉ. “They are very complex deals in terms of various elements, they are a little more complex than jersey sponsorships and other partnerships, so we will be considering all aspects of the deal and continue a great discussion with SuperValu, who have very similar ideals as we have in terms of community focus and so on. So, there is a great match there and we will continue discussions.

“We had our first county committee meeting of the year, we gave a significant commercial update on all our commercial partnerships across the board at the stadium and Cork GAA.

[ Denis Walsh: SuperValu Páirc has a ring to it all right, the ring of desperation in Cork GAA ]

“As part of that we gave an update on naming rights. Naming rights, the story continues with ongoing negotiations. We confirmed we are having those discussions with SuperValu at the moment and we continue to do so.

“Everything is up for discussion. We will be speaking with SuperValu again [on Wednesday]to continue those discussions to get a deal that is right for both parties, because no partnership will work if it is not sustainable for either side.

“We are listening to our members, I’m sure SuperValu are listening to their franchisees and staff and so on, so I’m sure we will reach a really good outcome.”

O’Donovan admitted there were both positive and negative observations made from the floor at the meeting but he believes the public outcry – which included Tánaiste Micheál Martin getting involved – merely demonstrates the strength of the Cork GAA brand.

“We do know there has been a lot of discussion over the last 24 hours and we are listening to that, we are listening very closely to our clubs and that will inform our discussions as we proceed,” added O’Donovan.

“There is a commercial imperative that we pursue all commercial options, we listen to our members and their feelings on the different aspects of the deal.

“It shows the value of the Cork brand, it shows the passion people have, it shows that it was discussed in many households across the country over the last 24 hours, that shows you the interest we have in our games, in our brand, in our family, in our 140 years of history.

“That’s a serious commercial revenue stream that we feel we can maximise in the future.”

And speaking on a possible time frame, O’Donovan said he would like the stadium’s new name to be operational for this year’s Munster senior football and hurling championships.

“We want to proceed as urgently as possible with all commercial arrangements,” he stated.

“There is an annual imperative in terms that the playing season is coming, we have an exciting programme here in the Páirc. We can talk about Bruce [Springsteen] and the rugby, but we’ll have the Cork footballers, and Cork hurlers planning an ambush in April and May in the Munster Championship. We’d love to have something in place before then to maximise the benefits before then.”

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