ComfortClothing was established in 2019 by Monica Murphy. The idea came to her when trying to source a pair of trousers with zips up the sides for her Dad who was recovering from a hip replacement. Despite many trips around the shops, she found it impossible and eventually ordered a pair online. These had to come from the US and there was a significant time delay. “I was annoyed at how much time I had invested in trying to find something suitable” Monica says, “and I was complaining to my husband that it must be very difficult for people with limited mobility to find clothes that suit their needs”. She started to consider it as a business idea, and seeing limited competition, she decided to take the plunge and establish ComfortClothing.

Monica set about learning more and one of the first things she did was write an email to Professor Niall Tubridy – Consultant Neurologist at St.Vincent’s Hospital in Dublin. He kindly phoned her in response and talked through the range of issues he experiences with his work - people who have Multiple Sclerosis, Motor Neuron Disease, Parkinson’s Disease and Epilepsy. She then set up meetings with associated organisations and they further helped her explore the issue using a survey to their members.