It all began in 1918 when Charles O’Neills spotted a need for Gaelic football and hurling balls. The first O’Neills size 5 football was produced by Charles O’Neill & Co. in his family home on Dublin’s Capel Street. Over the next 50 years, the company became renowned as the manufacturer of footballs and hurling balls for Gaelic games. Venturing into the textile industry initiated a whole new era for O’Neills, as the company began manufacturing sports apparel and playing kits. The expansion of the facilities in Walkinstown and Strabane, acquisition of dye houses and investment in state-of-the-art knitting technologies provided the foundations to implement a vertically integrated manufacturing operation. Today, each stage of the production process is overseen from the knitting of yarn through dyeing, cutting, sewing, printing and embroidery to ensure each garment is of the highest quality. Over 100 years later we are now the largest sportswear manufacturer in Ireland, employing more than 900 people across Ireland, the UK, France, Australia and beyond. Our products are available worldwide, but we are proud to still be an 100% Irish-owned company. The iconic O’Neills size 5 ball is still being produced amongst our sports apparel, international sportswear and teamwear. We supply teamwear for over 7000 clubs worldwide for a range of sports including GAA, Soccer, Rugby League, Rugby Union, Boxing, Cricket and Athletics.
Our pioneering spirit is built on one simple goal, to inspire everyone to pursue their passion. Everything we do is for the love of sport. From our roots in Capel Street, Dublin, to our partnerships across the globe, we strive to find breakthrough ways to make every performance better. We are a brand for the people wherever we go. We’re honest, upfront and ready for anything. We make it happen. We believe that everyone is equal in sport. We support the underdog. We champion the elite team. We’re the beating heart of every community. Sportswear is nothing without the person inside it and we want them to own that moment. Every stitch we sew, every yarn we knit has the same pride and passion woven into it. We never look over our shoulder. For us it’s about pushing forward.
