South Dublin County Council has launched a tender process for naming rights to Tallaght Stadium, home of League of Ireland football club Shamrock Rovers.
A sponsor is being sought for the stadium amid an ongoing project to expand its capacity with the construction of a new North Stand.
In October 2019, the council revealed a plan to promote Tallaght Stadium as an events venue that could host up to 20,000 people. Its current capacity is around 8,000 but this will rise to over 10,000 once the new stand is completed next summer.
Tallaght Stadium, which opened in 2009, also hosts matches played by Ireland’s men’s U21s team and the senior women’s side. It has also staged pre-season friendlies played by Leinster Rugby.
It is hoped a new naming-rights sponsor for the stadium would open up new revenue streams. The council is conducting the tender process in partnership with the stadium and the Core Sponsorship agency.
“This significant commercial opportunity represents another exciting milestone in the development of Tallaght Stadium,” Daniel McLoughlin, chief executive of South Dublin County Council, said, according to the Irish Examiner newspaper.
“The venue has proved to be an incredible success within South Dublin County and in Tallaght, serving as a unique identifier, source of pride and focus point for the wider community. The naming rights to the stadium represents a unique opportunity for a new commercial partner to be right at the heart of a thriving community, which will benefit directly with the reinvestment of funds arising in local sporting and community projects.”
The Irish Times has reported that the sponsorship deal would run for at least six years, with interested parties having until October 13 to put their name forward. The council expects ‘Tallaght’ to remain part of the venue’s name.
Earlier this year, Semple Stadium, one of the leading Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) venues, took on a naming-rights sponsor for the first time after a deal was signed with FBD Insurance.
The Dublin-headquartered company agreed a five-year contract with the Tipperary Gaelic Athletic Association in a move that saw the facility branded FBD Semple Stadium.
