Connacht Rugby have sold the Sportsground naming rights to US company Dexcom, in a move that is set to be announced in the coming days.
The move could be announced as early as tomorrow (Friday ) when Taoiseach Leo Varadkar will come to Athenry to turn the sod at Dexcom’s IDA site — a move which will see the commencement of a promised €300 million investment over the next five years.
In a week in which there was considerable controversy over the re-naming of Pairce Ui Chaoimh in Cork as SuperValu Pairc, insiders believe the Sportsground will be renamed Dexcom Park or Dexcom Stadium in the coming days.
Initially, the multinational approached Galway GAA in the hopes of renaming Pearse Stadium. However, Galway GAA were unwilling to yield the name Pearse, due to its strong historical importance.
Despite the fact that Pearse Stadium is set to have new floodlights installed this year, and had been seeking a title sponsor for the stadium, they are keen to stick with their current name.
Connacht’s home ground is set to be renamed in the midst of their €30 million redevelopment which has already seen the instalment of new floodlights and an all-weather playing surface. The redevelopment will also see the construction of a new stand bringing the overall capacity of the ground to 12,000. There will also be a new indoor training facility on site.
It is understood that the venue on College Road will continue to be known as Galway Greyhound Stadium for greyhound racing events.
Dexcom is a US Company that manufactures and distributes glucose monitoring systems for people suffering with Diabetes. Their global headquarters is in San Diego, and their new base in Athenry is set to be their first in Europe. The development will create permanent jobs for over 1,000 people.
