Settlement reached in O'Connor Park lease row between Offaly County Board and Tullamore GAA

A SETTLEMENT has been reached in the lease row over O'Connor Park between the Offaly GAA County Board and their biggest club, Tullamore.

Details of the settlement were to be unveiled at a meeting of the County Board on Tuesday night. The warring parties have drawn a line over a row that has rumbled on for nearly two years and it will see the County Board retain control of the premier ground in the county. There had been heated exchanges between both parties up to last year but things really quietened down in recent months as they embarked on a legal process to try and find agreement.

The row had been in arbitration in recent months and the terms of the settlement were approved at an Offaly GAA Management Committee meeting last week.

It brings an end to a very messy affair that at one stage threatened to end with the County Board opting out of the lease and control of the ground reverting to its owners, Tullamore GAA Club.

A furious war of words had erupted between the sides after the County Board initially withheld payment of some of the annual lease fee due, citing financial difficulties because of loss of revenue during the Covid 19 shut downs.

Last year Tullamore GAA Club told clubs in a letter that Offaly GAA chairman Michael Duignan had informed then Tullamore chairman Tom Martin that they would be “terminating the lease”. Minutes of an Offaly GAA management meeting last June make reference to meeting with Tullamore to discuss the potential for a “post lease rental agreement” for the use of O'Connor Park for matches.

Both sides were in danger of taking the nuclear option of termination at that time but Offaly GAA quickly rowed back from that with the minutes of a Management Committee on September 7 last year revealing that they didn't want to exit the lease but wished to have it re-negotiated.

Those minutes said: “An Cathaoirleach outlined the latest efforts from Offaly GAA to resolve the current impasse. In this regard a meeting was requested and held with Tullamore GAA on the 01/09/21. At the meeting, An Cathaoirleach acknowledged that Offaly GAA do not wish to exit OCP. However, as result of the financial impact of losses arising in OCP for the past 19 years, compounded by the impact of the Covid-19 Pandemic, Offaly GAA wish to mutually amend elements of the current lease. Tullamore GAA outlined their position in their letter dated 01/09/21 (distributed at the meeting on 01/09/21), that the lease agreement is not for review and OCP is not for sale. It was agreed to hold a Special Management Meeting to discuss the OCP Lease issue, with a view to putting a proposal to the clubs at a Special County Committee Meeting.”

In a furious letter distributed to clubs in July 2021, Tullamore GAA had outlined their position:

Tullamore GAA stated very clearly that O'Connor Park is “not for sale”, the legal agreement is “not for review” and there is no “legal basis for such a review” and that they are proceeding with an arbitration process. They went further as they accused Offaly GAA of being a “bad debtor for Tullamore GAA”.

Tullamore GAA Club further stated that the options for Offaly GAA are either to pay their outstanding lease fee of €48,284.82 immediately or to terminate the lease.

Their letter stated

“On termination of the Lease Agreement and in accordance with the Lease. Offaly GAA must:

1 Give Tullamore GAA six {6} months advance written notice of its decision to terminate the Lease Agreement

2 Surrender O'Connor Park back to Tullamore GAA Club without a penalty of any kind

3 Discharge all outgoings inclusive of all rent payments due to Tullamore GAA as per the Lease Agreement.

4 Yield up O'Connor Park {Including fixtures and fittings - other than trade or tenant's fixtures} together with all additions and improvements thereto and in such a state and condition that It be handed back to Tul/amore GAA in all respects. consistent with full and due performance.”

The row erupted in 2020 after the County Board sought a reduction of the yearly rent on O'Connor Park because of loss of income with Covid-19 shutdowns. A subsequent offer of a €15,000 donation by Tullamore GAA Club was turned down by the board. The management committee stated that they did not accept this money “due to the conditionality of the offer”.

There were efforts to get Leinster Council and Croke Park to mediate on the row but these were not successful and Tullamore engaged legal advice.

The County Board's preferred option was to buy out the ground outright but Tullamore were opposed to this.

The County Board signed a 35 year lease on O'Connor Park from Tullamore GAA Club in 2002 and this will not end until 2037 when the County Board will have the right to renew it if they wish.

A massive development of O'Connor Park took place in the 2000s after Offaly lost home venue for a 2004 Leinster SFC clash against Westmeath when Leinster Council ruled that it could not host the expected crowd because of health and safety regulations. A new 7,000 seater stand and terrace was constructed, with impressive press and ancillary facilities, turning O'Connor Park into one of the best provincial GAA grounds in the country. It has been capable of hosting 20,000 crowds and has been the venue for some big glamour clashes.

A big stand off had erupted between Offaly GAA and Tullamore GAA Club over the payment of the lease for 2020. The County Board sought a reduction in their annual rent as the ground yielded almost no revenue last year because of Covid-19 restrictions. Tullamore GAA Club didn't give any reduction and the two sides have been at loggerheads since then. The County Board paid €42,184 of the €56,245 lease for 2020 and sought a reduction of three months rent of €14,061 because of the Covid-19 pandemic ans the resultant financial hit they took.

Servicing the €1.5 million debt on O'Connor Park has proven to be a big challenge for the County Board and in 2015, the debt was taken over by Croke Park as the Offaly County Board ran into major financial difficulty – a deal was struck by then County Board chairman Padraig Boland and other officers, and approved by a full board meeting.

The County Board then tried to get the lease re-negotiated and apart from the yearly rent, they were unhappy with elements of it such as Tullamore having a veto on naming rights being secured for the ground and concerts being held there.