The Football Association of Ireland (FAI) unveiled a new brand identity on March 9, the first update to the brand in almost 20 years.
The FAI said the "refreshed identity" is comprised of redeveloped logos, including a new crest for the National teams, alongside newly created distinct identities for the Association, and the recently announced League of Ireland identity.
Our new National Team crest, a nod to the past but set for the future
A symbol that represents our pride, passion, ambition and truly celebrates our iconic Shamrock ☘️⚽️ #IrelandFootball | #WeAreOne pic.twitter.com/oiHPaglBLA
— Ireland Football ⚽️?? (@IrelandFootball) March 9, 2023
FAI said in a statement on March 9 that the new national team identity focuses on the unique Irish symbol of the shamrock, with research undertaken by the FAI amongst fans and players clearly demonstrating a desire for the shamrock to feature within the new crest, and the bold Irish green being at the heart of the logo.
The FAI noted that the decision to create a new and distinct identity for the FAI, separate from that of the National Team, was taken to highlight its role as the governing body of the sport, driving the growth and success of Irish football, as well as the need to create a professional look and feel for the organization and how it engages with internal and external stakeholders.
Jonathan Hill, CEO of the FAI, commented on March 9: “Today marks the start of a new era for the FAI as an organization as we unveil our new brand identity.
"We set out an ambitious four-year strategy in 2022 and building a trusted and respected brand was outlined as a key enabler.
"The delivery of our new identity is a key step in delivering against this objective. The development of our new brand identities has been a significant and strategic undertaking that reflects our commitment to being a best-in-class, modern organization.
"It also represents a change in what we stand for and how we will engage with the football community as we continue to drive the growth and development of the game in what is a new and exciting era for Irish football.
"Most importantly we have a new national team crest that we hope our fans, players, and everyone in Irish football will be truly proud of.”
Louise Cassidy, Director of Marketing & Communications, for the FAI, added: “Our new identity will extend from social media to the national stadium and far beyond while also taking pride of place on our national team shirt.
"The new identities are so much more than a simple logo mark, we now have the assets and resources to really bring our communication and activation to life with our partners.
"The launch of this new identity today is testament to the hard work of our team and a strong level of collaboration with our many stakeholders whose input we are extremely grateful for. This work will enable us to better drive participation, attendance, and engagement with football in Ireland.”
The launch of the new crest comes just before the unveiling of a new kit for the Irish international teams, which is expected to be designed by UK kit designer Castore.
The Castore deal will reportedly be "transformational in terms of monetary value for the FAI," which is currently €63.5 million in debt.
The FAI has been without a main sponsor for its men's football teams since a deal with mobile provider Three ended in 2020.
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