Castore opens Kildare Village pop-up

By

Nigel TAYLOR

Published
May 30, 2023

It’s no coincidence premium performance sportswear brand Castore has just opened an Irish pop-up store at the Kildare Village shopping centre, on the outskirts of Dublin.

The temporary store opening heralds the latest in a long line professional sports deals Castore has secured, having signed a multi-year kit supply and sponsorship partnership with the Football Association of Ireland (FAI).
The agreement becomes its first national football deal, with all the others club-based, although Castore does also sponsor England international cricket. 

The new pop-up store at Kildare Village features the Castore x FAI replica kit and jersey “celebrating Ireland’s colours and honours the historic jersey, whilst ensuring it has the modernity required in today's game”.

The launch also coincides with the recent unveiling of a new brand identity for the FAI, the first update in almost 20 years.

And to ensure both get early international exposure, the Ireland women’s football team will also wear the kit during this summer’s World Cup tournament, being co-staged in New Zealand and Australia across July and August.

Those attending the weekend opening of the pop-up store also had the chance of winning two hospitality tickets to a Republic of Ireland game, a gift voucher, and the new Ireland home kit.

Jonathan Hill, CEO of Football Association of Ireland said: “Importantly, this is a significant commercial deal for the Association which helps us in our core strategic objective of creating a more stable financial base for the business and for the game as a whole.”

Castore replaces Umbro as kit supplier and although the agreement with the FAI was due to expire in 2026 but association negotiated its cancellation last October.

Castore founder Tom Beahon said: “We are extraordinarily proud that [we] will have the honour of producing the iconic Ireland jersey until 2028 and we fully understand the responsibility we have to carry on that tradition and history. Along with our financial commitment to the FAI, we will invest significantly into the FAI’s e-commerce infrastructure, providing a best-in-class online shop for Ireland fans home and abroad and will align with the FAI’s strategic ambition to embrace digital technologies to better connect with all fans.”