Cork city and SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh made for international events of all kinds
Shane and Seán Callinan from Co. Clare with Dean and Oisin Bruce from Blackpool at the Cork Super Cup game between Cork City and Celtic Super Cup at SuperValu Pairc Ui Chaoimh, Cork. - Picture: David Creedon
As Cork City and Celtic played out their friendly in front of 26,580 spectators at SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh, it marked another small but significant step towards the bright future envisioned for the home of Cork GAA.
Páirc Uí Chaoimh holds a special place in the hearts of GAA supporters, particularly on Leeside. Its redevelopment almost a decade ago ushered in a new era — not just for the stadium, but for the city and county as a whole.
With state-of-the-art facilities, a striking architectural presence, and its scenic riverside location, the stadium has become one of Cork’s most prized assets. And while the Celtic fixture was another successful chapter, Cork GAA hopes it will be one of many memorable nights to come.
That’s the ambition of Cork GAA CEO Kevin O’Donovan, who spoke ahead of the match on the about the stadium’s potential and long-term vision.
The financial burden attached to the Páirc has been widely acknowledged, but events like this — O’Donovan believes — do more than chip away at debt. They strengthen community ties and help position the venue as the true “municipal stadium” of Cork.
Among the ideas floated to further that vision? Boxing. American football. Even major international tournaments.
“If you put yourself in the shop window, at least they’ll know your name for next time,” O’Donovan said.
“It couldn’t happen, but now they have your mobile number, or they know the stadium exists ¬– so a bit like any business, you’ve to throw a lot of darts at the wall before they land.
“You need to go after those on a bigger footing over a decade. We tried American football – tried to get that too – the numbers didn’t add up. They could put 80,000 into Croke Park at god knows how much a ticket.
“We had those conversations, but if you’re more in the game over time – it will come your way. Same with the concerts, we’ve done everything possible.” Another attempt that Cork GAA tried to put together was for EURO 2028, but unfortunately they were unsuccessful in getting the Páirc in as the replacement for Casement Park.
“That ship has sailed. We did put our name in the ring, as Casement [Park] was running into trouble, we worked hard and we got the backing of national GAA and Jarlaith Burns.
“Ultimately, it was kind of too late in the day, and UEFA had made the decision that they were going to put those games into existing venues rather than recruit another venue.
Still, every effort – whether successful or not – has helped Cork GAA to learn and adapt. O’Donovan believes those lessons will pay dividends down the line.
“One thing we’ve learned about association football – we’ve learned a lot about the pitch and the absolute obsession with that sport of the condition of pitches,” he said. “The low level grass, we’re amazed by the amount of water that is required by the teams. It’s been a learning process for us, and we’ve an incredible groundsman in Colm Daly.
“Commercially they [Irish women’s football games] are not game changers, but your stadium is on TV, we’re sending out a message; we’re open for business. We’re sending out a message about women’s sport.”
He also acknowledged the stadium’s limitations — and strengths.
“[The capacity] is decent, we’re not 80,000 like Croke Park, we’re not the Aviva – we’re not Dublin – you’ve to find your place in the world and this is the place in the world we’ve found now.
“This [Cork City v Celtic] game is kind of an experiment for us to see what is the appetite out there,” he added.
“In terms of the seats, of course – for FIFA or UEFA games – you lose your terraces then. But if you got a big one of those, it would be worth seating. And Croke Park will be seating Hill 16 for games like that. We could do that as well, but you’d need a significant event for that to justify the change.”
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