Cork jersey sales a 'best seller' as O'Neills pre-tax profits rise to €3.4m

Company employs more than 1,000 people across Ireland

Clare's Conor Leen makes a last-gasp intervention to stop Cork's Robbie O'Flynn equalising in the 2024 All-Ireland hurling final. Strong sales of Cork and Clare jerseys helped sport brand O’Neills to record pre-tax profits of €3.4m last year. Picture: James Crombie, Inpho

Strong sales of Cork GAA jerseys  helped sport brand O’Neills to record pre-tax profits of €3.4m last year.

New accounts filed by O’Neill’s Balbriggan Textiles Ltd shows that pre-tax profits rose by 2% to €3.4m after the group’s gross profit increased by 1.5pc from €14.48m to €14.69m in 2024.

Finance Director with O’Neill’s, Paul Towell said that the Cork replica jersey has been a best seller across 2024 and 2025. Mr Towell said that sales of Clare shirts also surged in 2024 as they beat Cork in that year's All-Ireland final. The sales of Clare replica jerseys received a second boost in 2024 with “very strong” sales of the commemorative blue Michael Cusack jersey which the senior hurlers wore in their All-Ireland semi-final win over Kilkenny.

Mr Towell said that O’Neill’s also enjoys “a lingering dividend” from the influence of Paul Mescal, who sported their shorts in the hit series Normal People back in 2020.

Paul Mescal in action as Connell in the critically-acclaimed Normal People television series. O'Neills has a 'lingering dividend' from its association with the star. Picture: Enda Bowe 

Mr Towell said that 2024 “was a very good year” where business was also boosted by replica jersey sales due to Derry City's 2024 FAI Cup Final appearance and Cliftonville winning the Irish Cup final in Northern Ireland.

The firm also enjoyed “very strong sales” of Bohemians shirts sporting the band Fontaines DC on the front.

Mr Towell stated that the O’Neill’s brand is still dealing with the condensed GAA inter county season. He said: “It is a negative. It is a loss of six weeks of sales and sales have more or less stabilised since last year."

Mr Towell said that today O’Neills employ 1,070 employees across the 32 counties and he said that this year, the company has invested €3m in adding 50,000 sq feet capacity to its manufacturing plant in Strabane in Co Tyrone

He said that the firm has also invested in a new sales centre at Haydock in England to serve its UK business. Mr Towell said: “We reinvest the profits back into the business and the company has never paid a dividend.”

 The accounts show that operating profits declined marginally from €3.08m to €2.95m and more than a doubling in interest receivable to €450,042 resulted in the pre-tax profit of €3.4m.

The profits also take account of non-cash depreciation charges of €339,821.

Mr Towell said that business in 2025 “has been good and revenues have increased by 5% on last year”. Numbers employed by Balbriggan Textiles increased by nine to 147 and staff costs totalled €6.45m.

Accumulated profits increased to €27.92m as cash funds increased from €9.2m to €11.59m. The company recorded a post tax profit of €2.86m after incurring a corporation tax charge of €541,482.