The inaugural Cork Super Cup will take place in SuperValu Páirc uí Chaoimh this summer.
Cork City will take on Celtic on July 8th, in what is a joint initiative between Cork GAA and Sports marketing agency Druid Sport.
It will be just the third soccer match to take place at the Páirc, following the Liam Miller tribute game, and the Republic of Ireland women's team's win over France.
The winners will lift a specially commissioned Cork Super Cup trophy, designed by former Cork GAA legend Ger McCarthy.
The fixture is expected to bring a significant boost to the local economy and hospitality trade, with an anticipated sell out crowd.
The organisers of the Cork Super Cup 2025 will be engaging with local businesses to create a unique atmosphere for visitors to the city. It’s estimated that the economic return from the fixture could be in the region of €6 million.
Speaking at the launch, An Taoiseach Micheál Martin said: “The Cork Super Cup will be a wonderful showcase of sport for the city, and of SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh as a host of major events. I would like to commend Cork GAA for their ongoing vision for the stadium, and wish both teams and all the supporters well this summer.”
Kevin O’Donovan, CEO of Cork GAA said: “This is another opportunity to share our stadium with the world, and help show Cork as an excellent destination for sports tourism. We are fortunate that one of the world’s most successful soccer teams has agreed to return to Cork, and we have been engaging with Cork City FC to ensure that both sets of fans really enjoy the experience. Every event such as this generates funding streams that we can reinvest in the stadium, and in our own games, so everyone wins.”
Celtic FC have played Cork City in friendlies on Leeside before, including a famous 2-0 victory for the home side during a visit in 1992. A team of Celtic and Manchester United legends had taken on a team of Ireland legends at the stadium in 2018, in memory of the late Liam Miller.
Celtic FC manager Brendan Rodgers said: “We are delighted to be travelling to Cork to play in this fantastic match in the summertime. We will be visiting a great stadium in a fine city and we are sure the game will be a wonderful occasion. Celtic’s Irish connections are very important to the Club and we are sure there will be huge interest in the match. From my own perspective it will be great to be going home to Ireland but also from a footballing side we are really looking forward to the match against Cork City, which will be an important part of our preparations for next season.”
Cork City manager, Tim Clancy said: “We are lucky to have such an incredible fanbase at City, and know they will turn out in force to show Celtic what the Rebel Army is capable of. We have enjoyed incredible support since the start of the League of Ireland Premier Division season, and the opportunity to place a fantastic team in Celtic at an iconic setting is one that both the team and the fans can look forward to.”
