Following the story, though, with all its intricacies about the shade and sunlight and the effectiveness of grow lights under the South Stand and how the general pitchside traffic during the construction of the stadium had contributed to the entire playing surface being below the required standard, it prompted a question or two, even more, from this quarter.

Who really ever calls it the South Stand?

Would people even know which one it is, the way they can instantly differentiate between the Hogan and the Cusack up in Croker?

While Cork are putting down a new pitch, should part of their new-look 2020 vision include renaming a few of its stands to salute some of its finest exponents?

And while they’re at that, should they even rename, or at least tweak the name of, another stadium up the road that is supposed to help preserve the memory of the most revered and iconic player in the history of the GAA?

Just in case you haven’t yet figured it out, the South Stand in the new Páirc Uí Chaoimh is that side of the ground which in its old reincarnation you probably referred to as the main stand, or the covered stand, just as you’d have known today’s (covered) North Stand as the old uncovered stand.

For a ground that’s supposed to inspire and enhance Cork’s proud tradition, they’re hardly the most inspiring or inspired stand names.

Although it’s widely acknowledged — and lamented — how more and more sports stadia across the world now auctions its naming rights, it’s been less heralded how the number of venues and stands honouring and celebrating former greats is also on the rise.

Even some of the places that have sold its name to the highest bidder have retained or at least reclaimed some of its soul. Manchester City’s Etihad Stadium has a stand named after probably finest ever Maine Road player, Colin Bell. Bournemouth’s ground may have transitioned from Dean Court to the Vitality Stadium but in recent years they’ve also named two of their stands after two of their finest goalscorers, Ted MacDougall and Steve Fletcher.

The traditional bluebloods have also decided that as hard as it is to pick some legends ahead of others, it’s not enough reason to avoid naming a stand after any of them.

Manchester United fans who’ve made their way up Matt Busby Way can go take their place in the Alex Ferguson Stand or the Sir Bobby Charlton Stand.

The same month the new Páirc was officially opened, the Centenary Stand at Anfield was renamed the Kenny Dalglish Stand. Everton now have the Howard Kendall Stand, just like in the Championship, Nottingham Forest have both the Brian Clough Stand and the Peter Taylor Stand.

Next month West Ham, even under as crass and commercial a regime as the Sullivan-Gold axis, have retained enough romance to unveil a stand at London Stadium after Billy Bonds, just like they honoured his teammates Bobby Moore and Trevor Brooking before him.

It’s something of a mystery why GAA county units and grounds have been slower to similarly celebrate their own.

A study of the names of various county grounds shows that martyrs and patriots and clerics, even saints, tend to be favoured ahead of former players, coaches or even administrators.

In Connacht all five county grounds are named after patriots or a local archbishop.

In Ulster the only county ground named after a county player or coach is Brewster Park, named after Tom and Paul’s father, Michael.

Munster is somewhat better. Austin Walsh and Austin Stack were both GAA as well as Republican activists. Tom Semple won the first All Ireland hurling title. Dick Fitzgerald was an All-Ireland winning coach and player. Christy Ring was, well, Christy Ring. Pádraig Ó Caoimh was the longest serving secretary of the GAA.

Michael Cusack founded the GAA. Limerick’s grounds may have the generic title of the Gaelic Grounds but at least 30 years ago they named their new main stand after their greatest player with its interior now boasting a fantastic mural to greet and educate punters on the history and tradition of the county.

Overall though the GAA is missing a trick here. Think of all the great players and mentors that graced those pitches, hallways and dressing rooms and how they could be remembered and honoured around those same grounds to inspire and prompt future stars and memories. Outside of Croke Park itself, how many venues could provide a meaningful ground tour?

With a bit of imagination, some of them could. ‘And here’s the very spot Maurice Fitzgerald kicked that score against Dublin.’ ‘Jimmy Doyle hurled with this hurley in a Munster final.’ Or at least to be able to point to some memorabilia or pictures or murals that would bring you into the ground that bit earlier and make the day that bit more special.

Even those counties who have named stands after some former greats haven’t optimally helped; in trying to preserve the Irish language first, they haven’t best preserved the memory and name of the intended individual.

We’d safely hazard a guess there are more people in Cork and beyond who are unaware that Páirc Uí Rinn is supposed to be in honour of Christy Ring than those who are aware of such a salute. It doesn’t resonate with the public, local or national, the way Killarney’s biggest ground preserves the memory of Dick Fitzgerald a whole lot better than Páirc Mac Gearailt would.

The Cork County Board will probably calculate that that they enough on their plate without incurring the wrath of the Irish language community to tackle that one, but by the same token there would be something timely, with 2020 being the centenary of the birth of Cloyne’s — Cork’s, hurling’s — finest to call the place after the man was known as. Pardon the pun but Christy Ring Park just has a better ring to it.

Other counties have no such impediments or excuses. Are they waiting for Ger Loughnane to die to have the stand in Cusack Park named after him, or a statue of him outside alongside that other great revolutionary, Cusack himself? Likewise in Armagh for McGeeney or Big Joe to leave this world for another?

In Cork they have so many more to choose from but enough standouts to form enough of a consensus, and create a feelgood factor or at least stave off any embarrassment unveiling a new playing surface might present.

The remarkable career and being that’s Billy Morgan deserves to be honoured with a stand or terrace named after him — in his lifetime. Likewise a Jimmy Barry-Murphy. The dual exploits of Corkery and Buckley, not Colin and Pat, could also be honoured, while the McCarthy End could cover a lot of proud sons and some daughters from the county without anyone being offended that the City End name went the same way as the Canal End in Croker — gone and renamed so someone could be duly remembered and not forgotten.

Or maybe in Cork with Páirc Uí Chaoimh’s debt they can’t afford to go that way. That instead of a Wolves who have every end of the ground named after a proud son, Cork follow the example of a Leicester or Hull and name them each after the respective sponsor — favouring an Air Asia over a JBM Stand.

Or else they can go on as they have, their stadium by the river, and pretty much follow the way of the Riverside Stadium with its North Stand, South Stand, East Stand and West Stand.

At least that way if the grass underneath any stand acts up again, it’s not embarrassing anyone in particular.