GAA President Aogan O’Fearghail is adamant naming rights for Croke Park will not be for sale during his three year stint in office.
Speaking exclusively to The Irish Post at Thursday evening’s ‘Ground Breaking Ceremony’ at Ruislip O’Fearghail responded to newspaper reports in Ireland which suggested the GAA might be open to the idea of selling naming rights.
“I’ve a definite view and so has Padraic Duffy,” O’Fearghail said regarding the issue. “I was a little disappointed; I thought the paper picked him up wrong.
“Padraic Duffy was simply asked about naming rights for Croke Park. He stated clearly - and I saw the quotation - that in five, 10, 15 or 20 years we don’t know what is going to happen.
“I don’t know what is going to happen, but as President of the GAA I’m absolutely sure of what is going to happen in my term. We won’t be selling naming rights to Croke Park. That is just not going to happen.”
O’Fearghail confirmed that the GAA aren’t exploring any partnership in this area. “I am President of the association, I am chairman of Pairc an Chrocaigh Teoranta which has the responsibility for looking after Croke Park.
“Nobody has offered us naming rights; we haven’t gone looking for naming rights and I can assure you as President that I’m not going to go looking. We just won’t be doing that.
“What Padraic said was that we won’t be doing that, he said the same thing, but he also was honest enough to say that he doesn’t know what is going to happen in 20 years down the road.
“Neither do I, but at the moment you can take it as an absolute definite that it will not be happening in my term as President.”
