Glenisk to replace Carrolls as Offaly sponsor

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Bord na Mona man
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Glenisk to replace Carrolls as Offaly sponsor

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https://www.irishmirror.ie/sport/gaa/of ... l-26043672

One of longest sponsorship deals in Irish sport to end with Glenisk to replace Carroll Cuisine as Offaly GAA sponsor

By Pat Nolan

Offaly GAA has confirmed a lucrative five-year deal with Glenisk, ending one of the longest shirt sponsorships in Irish sport.

It sees the more than three-decade association with Carroll Cuisine come to a close. The Carroll’s branding first appeared on the Offaly jersey back in 1991, when shirt sponsorship was first permitted in the GAA, placing it alongside the likes of the Kerry Group and Supermac’s in terms of longevity.

But the package with Glenisk, believed to be worth around €750,000 over five years, has proved too good for Offaly to turn down and would apparently more than double what they had been receiving from Carroll’s per annum in recent years.

Like Carroll’s, Glenisk is a prominent local company that specialises in dairy products. Disaster struck last September when its organic dairy plant in Newtown, Killeigh, outside Tullamore, was destroyed by fire though the Cleary family, founders of the company back in 1987, have been stoic in their determination to rebuild and quickly got their production lines rolling again.

One of the first Offaly jerseys to display the Carroll Meats branding back in 1991 (Image: ©INPHO/James Meehan)
Glenisk has strong GAA links and is the current sponsor of Killeigh parish club Clodiagh Gaels, who won the Offaly senior B hurling title last year.

Commenting after news of the deal first emerged on irishmirror.ie today, the company’s managing director Vincent Cleary said they took “enormous pride” in the link-up with Offaly GAA and that it was “an honour to have the opportunity to play a part as this comeback story unfolds”.

Offaly county board chairman Michael Duignan paid tribute to Carroll’s, saying they “were very much part of our success since 1991” but added that the Glenisk acquisition “represents a major opportunity to progress Gaelic games in Offaly and offers financial stability and the resources to implement our ambitious plans for the future”.

The new deal is another timely shot in the arm for Offaly after a progressive showing in 2021 as the county footballers won promotion to Division Two, the under-20 footballers claimed Leinster and All-Ireland titles while the senior hurlers escaped the Christy Ring Cup and earned a spot in the top flight of the Allianz League.

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Bord na Mona man
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Re: Glenisk to replace Carrolls as Offaly sponsor

Post by Bord na Mona man »

It's the end of a great era and there will be a tinge of sadness to see the change.
Offaly and Carroll's were an iconic partnership, other counties changed like the wind, but Offaly and Carroll's was a constant throughout.

I believe Offaly and Fermanagh are the only counties to have the same sponsor since the advent of sponsorship in 1991.
The owners are now a UK private equity firm, so I suspect there was less willingness to indulge in generous patronage the way a locally owned firm might do.

On the other hand Glenisk and the Clearys are a great Offaly institution as well. The Clearys have always given generously to the community and the county without making a fuss about it.

We'll need bigger fridges.

Some jersey nostalgia here:
http://www.prideinthejersey.com/Offaly.html

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Re: Glenisk to replace Carrolls as Offaly sponsor

Post by joe bloggs »

It will look strange to mot see Carroll'son the geansaí any more, bit the Glenisk deal obviously will be a major boost for the coffers.

A big thank you to Carroll's for their fantastic support. Three decades is some commitment and they stuck by through the good times and bad. Lets hope the new sponsors will see some of those good times too!
'if your not part of the solution, your part of the problem' J. McClean

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Re: Glenisk to replace Carrolls as Offaly sponsor

Post by ah lethimoutwithit »

Carrolls survived the test of time and are deserving of our continued support as much as possible into the future.

The logo survived many a test as portly wearers wore the geansai with pride. From the highs of 94/95/98/2000 and a resurgence of the footballers around 95 to 2000, there were some great days. Tough times also into the 2000's and and up to recent years. Hopefully this is a sponsorship which can help keep the momentum that is building behind the GAA.

The Cleary family are true ambassadors themselves for the county in how they have built such a successful business, and more importantly how they have dealt with adversity. So I think it's a great sponsor for us as a county. I can't wait to get the Glenisk back into the fridge and peg out that aul Glenilen or Tesco stuff!!

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Re: Glenisk to replace Carrolls as Offaly sponsor

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with absolutely no connection or affiliation to either company, I find it very very strange Carrolls is being replaced (unless it is their own decision of course) by Glenisk...how a company like Glenisk just climbing back onto their feet after the fire and now sponsoring Offaly is a strange one to me and I supsect many only they wont say it openly..please dont launch an attack on me for just giving my oppinion...I wish Glenisk all the best and thank Carrolls for their lenghty time suporting Offaly...

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Re: Glenisk to replace Carrolls as Offaly sponsor

Post by ditchhurler »

Fairplayalways wrote: Fri Feb 04, 2022 4:38 pm with absolutely no connection or affiliation to either company, I find it very very strange Carrolls is being replaced (unless it is their own decision of course) by Glenisk...how a company like Glenisk just climbing back onto their feet after the fire and now sponsoring Offaly is a strange one to me and I supsect many only they wont say it openly..please dont launch an attack on me for just giving my oppinion...I wish Glenisk all the best and thank Carrolls for their lenghty time suporting Offaly...
By all accounts Glenisk were offering double what Carrolls were so, if true, decision was a no brainer.

I do think it would be a good commercial idea to launch a new jersey with the new sponsors, take advantage of the feel good factor around the county to try increase revenue more.

Best of luck to all teams at the weekend. Uibh Fhaili abu

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Re: Glenisk to replace Carrolls as Offaly sponsor

Post by private joker »

Fairplayalways wrote: Fri Feb 04, 2022 4:38 pm with absolutely no connection or affiliation to either company, I find it very very strange Carrolls is being replaced (unless it is their own decision of course) by Glenisk...how a company like Glenisk just climbing back onto their feet after the fire and now sponsoring Offaly is a strange one to me and I supsect many only they wont say it openly..please dont launch an attack on me for just giving my oppinion...I wish Glenisk all the best and thank Carrolls for their lenghty time suporting Offaly...
Don't think it's strange at all. Don't think a company like glenisk would be massively hindered by the fire. Don't they still have a factory in Dublin? and they are part of the Danone group so would have been well supported. There are already back producing products. Its more unusual that Carrolls were the sponsors for so long. Most counties change every 4 or 5 years. Wonder how much they were giving? And how much Glenisk are giving?

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Re: Glenisk to replace Carrolls as Offaly sponsor

Post by Bord na Mona man »

Glenisk have been partnered up with the Irish rugby team for a while now, so the Offaly sponsorship isn't an unusual one for them.

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Re: Glenisk to replace Carrolls as Offaly sponsor

Post by Fairplayalways »

the new jersey is a good idea and will surely be a runner, wouldnt it be nice to go back to the shade of green on the 1980's jersey i.e. the slightly darker green and gold and not the almost flourescent green and yellow we have for God knows how long now which I never really liked...the 80's jeresey looked a bit more better I always thought, of course fabric then and now too of course is totally different too...nice to liven up the thing a bit...not that there was anything major wrong with Carrolls..fair dues to them for their long sponsorship...

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Re: Glenisk to replace Carrolls as Offaly sponsor

Post by Plain of the Herbs »

I just want to echo these points. Thanks to Carroll's for their unwavering support for over 30 years. And it's important we continue to support Carroll's in the future.

And I'm pleased they are being succeeded by another proud Offaly company.
ah lethimoutwithit wrote: Thu Jan 27, 2022 9:31 am Carrolls survived the test of time and are deserving of our continued support as much as possible into the future.

The logo survived many a test as portly wearers wore the geansai with pride. From the highs of 94/95/98/2000 and a resurgence of the footballers around 95 to 2000, there were some great days. Tough times also into the 2000's and and up to recent years. Hopefully this is a sponsorship which can help keep the momentum that is building behind the GAA.

The Cleary family are true ambassadors themselves for the county in how they have built such a successful business, and more importantly how they have dealt with adversity. So I think it's a great sponsor for us as a county. I can't wait to get the Glenisk back into the fridge and peg out that aul Glenilen or Tesco stuff!!
Pat Donegan. Signed out of respect for players and all involved with Offaly.

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Re: Glenisk to replace Carrolls as Offaly sponsor

Post by private joker »

Fairplayalways wrote: Wed Feb 09, 2022 1:20 pm the new jersey is a good idea and will surely be a runner, wouldnt it be nice to go back to the shade of green on the 1980's jersey i.e. the slightly darker green and gold and not the almost flourescent green and yellow we have for God knows how long now which I never really liked...the 80's jeresey looked a bit more better I always thought, of course fabric then and now too of course is totally different too...nice to liven up the thing a bit...not that there was anything major wrong with Carrolls..fair dues to them for their long sponsorship...
Slightly different design, colour and shades the same.

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Re: Glenisk to replace Carrolls as Offaly sponsor

Post by Bord na Mona man »

Glenisk secure naming rights for Offaly's O'Connor Park
The Offaly based dairy brand has extended an existing sponsorship deal to take in the naming rights of the Tullamore venue which will now be known as Glenisk O'Connor Park.

TUE, 17 JAN, 2023 - 19:56
PAUL KEANE

Offaly GAA chiefs have cashed in on the naming rights of their O'Connor Park base again by striking a deal with Glenisk.

The Offaly-based dairy brand has extended an existing sponsorship deal to take in the naming rights of the Tullamore venue which will now be known as Glenisk O'Connor Park.

A similar deal was struck by Offaly back in 2017 with Bord na Mona who, after initially agreeing a 10-year deal, exited after a five-year review.

The fresh Glenisk deal was revealed at Offaly's county board meeting with the proviso that Tullamore GAA club, the owners of the ground, must approve the agreement though this is viewed as a formality.

A separate deal with Tullamore retailer Galvin for Men to have their branding on Offaly jerseys was also struck.

The terms of the naming rights deal were not revealed but, according to the Offaly Express, county board chairman Michael Duignan told delegates that they hope to raise €100,000 per year between the naming rights deal and advertising revenue in the ground.

Meanwhile, Duignan has questioned the 'logic' of Louth's decision not to agree to a deferral of last weekend's O'Byrne Cup semi-final fixture.

Offaly pulled out of the tie citing 'medical and player welfare advice', noting injuries and stating that 'a large number of players' would have had to play three competitive games in eight days.

Duignan said that the Leinster Council was open to a deferral if Offaly and Louth could agree but that Louth manager Mickey Harte rejected the idea.

"I rang the Louth chairman, had a good chat, he went back to Mickey Harte the manager, then came back and said, no, they weren't agreeable," Duignan told Midlands 103 Radio.

"I just find the logic a bit strange because he said the league was coming up, they didn't want more matches.

"But it's the same thing - if we had played them last Sunday, and if they had won, they were having an extra match before the league. If they had agreed to it, they'd have been playing us this Saturday instead of Longford and the final would have been deferred."

With Longford already through to this Saturday's final, Duignan revealed that Offaly, had they beaten Louth, would have been happy to double up their Leinster SFC clash with Louth as the pre-season decider.

The former Offaly hurling star suggested that in future, to save time, the O'Byrne Cup could be pared back to a straight knock-out format.

https://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/gaa ... 50736.html

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