GAA to confirm new list of licenced sportswear manufacturers in early 2026

Croke Park have said manufacturing factories will be visited both during and after the tendering process to ensure standards are met and the jerseys are actually being made on the island.

Tue, 07 Oct, 2025 - 17:42

John Fogarty

The GAA hope to confirm its new list of licensed sportswear manufacturers in the first quarter of 2026.

On Saturday, Special Congress agreed that GAA jerseys and playing gear must now be produced by an official GAA licensee instead of Irish manufacture. The change ensures the GAA is complaint with EU law.

The motion was due to be debated and voted on at Congress in February but was withdrawn arising from concerns some counties had such as the ethical manufacturing of clothing, the threat to Irish jobs, royalties and the possibility counties would lose the autonomy over their jerseys.

Reassurances were provided by GAA director general Tom Ryan and GAA commercial partnership manager Dónal Marah on Saturday. Croke Park will insist prospective licensees have to follow ethical guidelines in keeping with the GAA and be in a position to supply kit and gear within five to seven days of ordering.

The GAA had commenced a tendering process for new licensees earlier this year and a decision on the applications had been due to be made last month with the new contracts running from this January. However, the process was delayed as a result of the postponed motion and may reopen again to allow for more interest in the wake of Saturday’s decision.

Croke Park have said manufacturing factories will be visited both during and after the tendering process to ensure standards are met and the jerseys are actually being made on the island.

Ryan also revealed a legal case had been taken against the GAA by a manufacturing company last June. It is understood MFC (Made For Champions) Leisurewear have issued proceedings against the association partly on the basis of the previous rule.

The Derry-based company supply sports gear’s arguments were believed to be two-fold: that the GAA has an overly-dominant position in the market (only licensed manufacturers can carry the GAA logo on their jerseys) and the insistence on the kit being made in Ireland.

Currently, seven companies are officially licensed by the GAA to produce kit and gear – Azzurri (Waterford), Gaelic Armour (Tipperary), KCS (Westmeath), Intosport (Kilkenny), Masita (Meath), McKeever (Armagh) and O’Neills (Derry, Dublin). Of them, four can supply inter-county teams – Azzurri, Gaelic Armour, O’Neills and McKeever.

It is envisaged the GAA will add at least more firm to their total number of licensees, although it is unlikely any of them are going to be multinational sportswear manufacturers.