Semple Stadium, one of the leading Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) venues, will take on a naming rights sponsor for the first time after a deal was signed with FBD Insurance.
The Dublin-headquartered company has agreed a five-year contract with the Tipperary Gaelic Athletic Association in a move that will see the facility branded FBD Semple Stadium.
FBD has a prior connection to Tipperary GAA having been sponsors of the Tipperary Club Championships for the past three years and of the Tipperary Camogie Championships since last year.
FBD is also the title sponsor of the Connacht League since 1995. Played in January each year, the competition acts as an important stepping stone for emerging players to enter the elite level of senior inter county football.
With 34 local sales offices nationwide, FBD Insurance also offers ongoing support to local GAA clubs throughout Ireland through its Local Office Sponsorship Fund.
FBD Insurance CEO, Tomás O’Midheach, said: “At FBD Insurance we aim to serve the needs of farmers, small businesses and consumers across Ireland. Our ongoing work with the GAA supports that endeavour.
“Semple Stadium is a historic and celebrated GAA ground, an important landmark not just in Tipperary but as part of our national sporting infrastructure. FBD is delighted to support Semple Stadium over the coming five years as we acknowledge the importance of a thriving stadium for local businesses and communities.”
The Semple Stadium deal comes after Cavan in July became the first GAA county to have a club sell the naming rights to its ground when Gowna’s home pitch was rebranded Clubspot Park.
In April 2020, it was revealed that Semple Stadium, which has a capacity of around 45,000 and first opened in 1910, would undergo extensive redevelopment work as part of a long-term project.
Welcoming the announcement, chairman of the Semple Stadium Management Committee, Con Hogan, said: “The stadium is a hugely important asset, not alone for Tipperary but for the GAA at provincial and national level, and we plan to continue to develop and enhance the facility over the coming years. The support of FBD will go a long way in enabling us to do just that.”
Image: Tipperary GAA
