HAVING KICKED its sponsorship with the Irish football team into the proverbial Row Z, Eircom is currently mulling over sponsoring the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship.

A spokesman for the telco confirmed to me this week that “exploratory discussions” were taking place with the GAA.

Earlier this year, Eircom ended its long-running deal with the FAI. “We are reviewing our options on sponsorship in general and we have met with the GAA a couple to times,” the spokesman added.

The GAA football championship has a price tag of about €1.5 million a year. It’s a chunky sum although the GAA might be willing to cut a better deal in these recessionary times.

The GAA’s strong membership base around the country would certainly be attractive to a company such as Eircom.

If Eircom signs on the dotted line, it would be taking up the baton from fixed line and mobile rival Vodafone.

The British operator decided recently not to renew its All-Ireland deal and instead focus on its sponsorship of the Dublin GAA teams.

It throws up the possibility of a Dublin captain lifting the Eircom-sponsored Sam with Vodafone’s logo splattered across his chest.

On second thoughts, that’s probably just wishful thinking on my part.