In 2015, seeing a gap in the Irish menswear market,
Paul proposed the idea of a mens storytelling brand to Dunnes Stores.
Clothing collections based on true stories of Irish history, geography, sport, military, art, architecture & literature, designed & marketed in plain language Irishmen understood, full of meaning & discovery.
The language of the brand counter would the existing language of fashion which, in Paul’s experience made little sense & excluded Irishmen. With a background in education he felt the marketing of men’s clothing could be simpler but mean more, & maybe even educate consumers, stick in the memory.
Treating each collection like a chapter in a book, titled, researched & told like a story, Paul pledged to re-write the language of men’s fashion.
12 years & 25 collections later, below is a synopsis of some of these stories. Combined with insights from Paul’s design & storytelling process, & his experiences as a successful GAA player, they can be applied to your workplace to challenge your thinking, inspire your teams, and help you find new meaning as a leader.
Stories TOLD
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![Close-up of a person wearing a camouflage-patterned sweatshirt with the word 'WARRIORS' written on it.]()
VANGUARD
The story of the Irish National Anthem.
Facing the flag in Croke Park & why knowing the meaning of the lyrics is key to knowing national identity.
How well do we know ourselves?
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![Blurry black-and-white photo of a person standing with a bicycle outdoors.]()
PUSH
The story of the 1912 Olympics & the 1916 Easter Rising.
A 12 hour road-race, a bullet-ridden street race, the men who pushed pedals & boundaries for Ireland.
Is this resilience?
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![Black and white photograph of an elderly man with a hand on his chin, wearing a textured jacket, sitting outdoors with a serious expression.]()
BORN MAD
The story of Samuel Beckett.
Rugby player, champion boxer, cricketer & Croix de Guerre winner for translating German WWII intelligence.
What don’t we know?
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![Black and white photo of two men standing outdoors, with one man in the foreground having white hair and wearing a sweater, and the other man in the background with darker hair.]()
MISTER
The story of Patrick O Connell.
Bigamy, winning La Liga, managing Barca, & fighting Franco.
Can selfishness lead to success?
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![Close-up of partial text on a black background, mentioning 'pneumatic' and a date in December.]()
BIKER
The story of the pneumatic tyre.
Invention, investment & the scale of the pneumatic tyre by John Dunlop and Harvey du Cros.
Partnership. What it means to support another?
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![A group of rugby players standing in a line during a game, wearing black jerseys with the 'All Blacks' logo and sponsor 'Altrad'.]()
SCAFFOLDER
The story of Mohed Altrad.
Escaping childhood captivity & life as a shepherd, to scaffolding billions and winning rugby.
Is survival instinct and business instinct the same thing?
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![Three men in early 20th-century attire standing on a field, two of them holding hockey sticks, appearing to play or practice hockey in a park.]()
BOLAND
The story of Harry Boland.
Leading Dublin to an All Ireland hurling title in 1920, running a tailoring shop & raising millions to finance a rebellion.
Are rebels vital to business?
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![Two young male athletes in athletic uniforms standing on a field with a person in a coat and hat in the background, possibly at a sports event or track and field competition.]()
DOC
The story of Dr Pat O Callaghan.
From Banteer to Los Angeles via Berlin. Hitler, Tarzan & how stealing a cannon lead to double-Olympic gold.
Are you practicing your craft for unlimited upside?
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![Painted scene of a crowded riverside promenade with people wearing hats, some holding umbrellas, and boats on the river, under a cloudy sky.]()
JACK
The story of Jack B Yeats.
An Olympic silver medal for art and culture as sport.
What is workplace culture?
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![A chart displaying the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) symbols, their names, example words, and pronunciation details for different sections, including first, second, third, and fourth AICME, as well as other symbols.]()
AICME
The story of communication.
From Ogham to WhatsApp, how nature, symbols & emojis help & hinder human communications.
How are your workplace communications?
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![Person with short dark hair wearing a blue long-sleeve shirt with a sports field map printed on the back, standing outdoors on a grass field with goalposts in the background.]()
LINES
The story of design in sport.
Examining the role of design in sport through the lines of the GAA pitch. How sports are identified by their pitch-lines & how this influences the game.
Is your office design helping your game?
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![A young man standing with his hands on his hips in front of a beige background with graphic lines and labels indicating corners and angles.]()
ROUTES
The story of the NFL.
Play design, play calls, coaching and communication in sport.
Can NFL play design help systemise your business?
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![Black and white photo of an empty outdoor stadium with a large covered grandstand and tiered seating.]()
331-332
The Story of the Hogan Stand.
Michael Hogan, victory speeches, winning matches & losing language.
Why leaders have to stand for something.
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![A young man stands in front of a wooden background with a hockey helmet, a hockey stick, and a baseball on the floor, dressed in casual clothing with a blue puffer jacket.]()
BAS
The story of hurling.
From ash to bamboo, horsehair to leather, hurling is a game of sounds, then sights to behold. We look at the clash of the ash & the power of stick & ball sports for wellness.
Can play help workplace productivity?
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![A young man with wavy dark hair, wearing a gray sweatshirt and beige pants, standing outdoors near a fenced grassy field with rugby goalposts and a scoreboard in the background under a cloudy sky.]()
CAID
The origin story of Gaelic football in West Kerry.
From medieval CAID played without rules across the parishes of West Kerry, to the FRC’s new rules of today, we look the impact of rule changes in Gaelic football.
Are you willing to change your business rules for progress?
