“Takedowns” were filed against a social media post by fast food outlet Supermac’s that featured Croke Park, the GAA has said.
The posts, shared on Supermac’s Facebook and Instagram accounts, featured an altered image of the north Dublin stadium, suggesting that it was being renamed ‘Supermac’s Croke Park’.
The fast food chain has said the post in question was “meant as an April Fool’s joke”.
The Facebook and Instagram accounts of Supermac’s were later suspended.
In a statement, the GAA said that ‘Croke Park’ is registered trademark and its use for “advertising purposes” is not allowed.
“The use of any registered trademark is not permitted, in jest or otherwise where it is clearly being used for advertising purposes and in this case on a business account. Such use constitutes trademark infringement pursuant to Section 14 of the Trade Mark Act 1996.
“Also, to be clear, the post was first published on 31 March 2024 and not on 1 April 2024.”
There was no correspondence issued to Facebook parent company Meta, the organisation said, adding that it had “filed takedowns via an online reporting form on Facebook and Instagram”.
Supermac’s has said it “does not accept that there was any breach” in sharing the post.
“The post in question was meant as an April Fool’s joke and this was referenced in the comments. It comes as part of a long line of April Fool’s jokes that we have been engaged in over the years and was clearly intended as such,” the company said in a statement.
“Supermac’s is working with Meta to reinstate the accounts,” it added.
It comes following recent debate around the naming rights of high-profile GAA stadiums.
An agreement was reached in January over the naming rights for the stadium in Cork city that has been known throughout its history as Páirc Uí Chaoimh and is now known as SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh as part of a 10-year partnership between Cork GAA and the retailer.
It was previously suggested that the venue would become SuperValu Páirc.
However, that speculation received negative feedback from the public, GAA members and the family of Pádraig Ó Caoimh – after whom the stadium is named.
Tánaiste Micheál Martin was among those criticising the proposal to change the name, with the Cork North Central TD saying he was “deeply disappointed and annoyed” by the plans.
Yesterday the Government published new guidance on the sponsorship of stadiums that benefit from large-scale sport infrastructure funding.
