Move to drop Páirc Uí Chaoimh name in new rights deal prompts backlash

The grandson of a Roscommon man after whom Páirc Uí Chaoimh GAA grounds is named said he was “deeply shocked and saddened” by the proposal to drop his name under a new naming rights deal.

Pádraig Ó Caoimh (Paddy O’Keeffe) was born in Ballinagare, Roscommon in 1898 but moved to Cork at a young age. He went on to become a key architect in developing the GAA in the early Irish Free State, served as Cork County board secretary and was later elected General Secretary of the association in 1929.

Ó Caoimh’s lasting legacy was to have a GAA-owned pitch in every parish in the country.

There has much controversy since news broke that the proposed title sponsor for Páirc Uí Chaoimh’s historic first naming rights will be SuperValu, with Cork’s GAA headquarters to be rebranded SuperValu Páirc or Park.

The Examiner newspaper is reporting that three other companies — Boston Scientific, Statkraft and PepsiCo — will also have subsidiary stadium branding privileges as part of the package, believed to be for an initial three years. The total package is understood to be worth in the region of €1m up to 2026.

In a statement today (Tuesday), Pádraig Ó Caoimh’s grandson Dónal said: “My grandfather embodied the empathy, hospitality, and community spirit that is the essence of the GAA. His dream was inclusivity: to have a GAA-owned pitch in every parish.

"Under his stewardship, the GAA became the biggest amateur association of its kind in the world. It is galling to me that SuperValu would consider making the eradication of my grandfather’s legacy a condition of sponsorship. The gateway is open for the sale of our heritage and narrative for profit."

In a statement, Cork GAA CEO Kevin O’Donovan said it has a responsibility to ensure that it is on a firm financial footing to ensure the success of its games at both local and county level.

The matter will come before County Board delegates this evening (Tuesday) for discussion.