Bank Of Ireland have renewed their sponsorship of the All-Ireland football championship at a cost believed to be about £8 million over four years. The announcement was made yesterday by the company's group chief executive Maurice Keane at a lunch in Dublin attended by the Taoiseach Bertie Ahern.
Although neither the bank nor the GAA would confirm the figures involved, it is believed that the sponsorship costs approximately £1 million a year with the same amount set aside for marketing and promotional purposes. The deal means that the sponsors are set to complete a 10-year association with the championship with which they were first involved in 1994 when for the first time, the GAA agreed to seek a sponsor for one of its major competitions.
A delay in completing the details of the arrangement meant that last year's sponsorship was carried outside the terms of a long-term contract.
The renewal which was welcomed by GAA president Joe McDonagh includes provision for a portion of the sponsorship to go directly to county boards and provincial councils.
In recent years, the sponsorship has been supported by a high-profile advertising and marketing campaign. This will again be the case with the possibility of some new creative initiatives.
Keane pointed out that the announcement marked the beginning of the 22nd year of an association between the bank and the GAA, stretching back to the company's sponsorship of the All Stars in 1979. He also stated that research carried out by the bank indicated high levels of support for the sponsorship amongst customers and staff.
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