The Leinster GAA Football and Hurling Championships were launched in Farmleigh yesterday, providing an opportunity for players and managers to get used to the limelight which will descend during Championship season.
Inevitably questions of Dublin dominance arose with questions asked of whether it was right to have all of Dublin’s games in Croke Park again this year.
Last week Sport for Business spoke to the leading sponsor of one inter county team who made the point that for him, playing a home match was only reaching out to those people who generally were fully aware of what they were and that it was the bigger trips to Croke Park that generally made the sponsorship worthwhile.
He also made the interesting point that over recent years it was the Allianz League that provided better opportunities to promote at the main venue as a result of the greater competition in the Championship arising out of having three as opposed to one headline tournament sponsors.
Yesterday was also an opportunity to get branding of inter county sponsors to the fore and it can often be a case of luck as to who stands where as to whether national coverage of a brand on a shirt will be seen.
In our picture above, taken by Ryan Byrne of Inpho.ie, the brands of AIG, Brady Family Ham, Tayto Park, Carrolls Meats and MW Hire Group are visible to the left of the Dublin, Kildare, Meath, Offaly and Laois representatives.
Top marks and a free ticket from the sponsor Tickets.ie should also go to Kieran Nolan of Carlow who took one step to the side and made sure his sponsor was seen.
As for the Arklow Bay Hotel, Glennon Homes, Gain Feeds and Morgan Fuel on the Wicklow, Longford, Wexford and Louth shirts, well at least they have Sport for Business to give them credit…
