O’Neills, the renowned Irish sports manufacturing brand primarily associated with Gaelic Football, found itself on an unexpected yet remarkable journey in 2015 when the Democratic Republic of Congo reached out to them with a proposal that would change the course of their jersey-making history.
During Christmas 2015, O’Neills received an unusual request from DR Congo, who were on the lookout for a new kit manufacturer ahead of the 2016 Africa Cup of Nations. The football liaison officer of the Democratic Republic of Congo, who resided in Dublin for the past 15 years, took charge of the mission to secure new gear for the national team. When O’Neills was suggested by one of his children, the stars aligned for this unique collaboration.
Cormac Farrell, O’Neills’ marketing manager, recalled the surreal experience to the Irish Examiner in 2015, stating, “We knew the request was coming from the Democratic Republic of Congo, but it was not apparent it was for the team competing in the Africa Cup of Nations. When we returned after the Christmas break, there was another series of mails and communications and it soon became apparent what the urgency was all about.”
What followed was a monumental task for O’Neills, as the order had to be produced from scratch in a matter of days, a significantly shorter turnaround time than the typical weeks they were accustomed to. Despite the original challenges, the partnership between O’Neills and DR Congo didn’t end there. Originally envisioned as a one-off design, the partnership continued until 2023, producing a collection of beautiful jerseys along the way.
Beyond DR Congo, O’Neills has extended its expertise to design jerseys for renowned football league clubs such as Wycombe Wanderers, Bristol City, and Rochdale. Notably, the collaboration with Bohemian, an Irish club, resulted in the creation of an iconic Bob Marley-inspired away shirt that has become a must have item in the shirt collecting community.
