It took the lads about a year and a half, as well as a brief move to Lisbon, to find the perfect fabric, components, and production process to create their jacket. They knew they wanted to work with raw materials that were bio-based and renewable. By the summer of 2022, they had a prototype they were excited to take into production. A Kickstarter campaign funded the first run of their ‘Endurance’ shell jacket, ‘Olann’ merino wool fleece, and ‘Origin’ organic cotton t-shirt. Hikes in wild and rainy weather around Ireland provided ideal conditions to test the gear; they even travelled to the French Alps for skiing season, where the jacket kept them protected in temperatures of -20°C. Thrilled with the products’ performance, Jack and Fionn took Zirkulu on tour, showcasing their garments and the groundbreaking way they had been made at events like ISPO, Cork Summer Show and the Ballymaloe Christmas Market.

Next came a big step: they launched a pop-up in Kinsale, repurposing a poky framing room into their first retail space. It wasn’t much more than a door onto Main Street, but it gave them a foothold to start building a community in their hometown. The response was incredible. They received so much support from those who visited the pop-up, that they decided to open their first proper store — and this one even has windows! In September 2024, Jack and Fionn set up shop in their new base camp on Market Street, kicking off an exciting new chapter in the Zirkulu story.