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Irishman abroad pays $65 AUD for pack of Tayto! What would you do for a Tayto?

by special correspondent Peadar McCaffrey

25 August 2001 - Conor Walshe from Balinteer Dublin, last Saturday in Oxley, Brisbane, Australia paid the princely sum of $65 AUD for a packet (standard size) of genuine Tayto crisps (Salt & Vinegar). Why and how and what for I hear you ask, but is the answer not obvious?

As any Irish man who has ever travelled outside the domain of the 26 county republic will testify, you just can't get a decent packet of Tayto (I use the term Tayto for crisps, in much the same way as people use the term Hoover for vacuum cleaners... simply as the standard bearer).

How often have you heard of people returning home, and asking if they should bring anything back from the Old Sod, and all that people can think of is 'Bring a load of Tayto back'. Now when we say we are from Ireland, people often say 'Guinness is from there etc.', has anyone ever requested someone to bring out a load of Guinness (not knocking the black stuff), and that�s because they have never had the pleasure that is Tayto!

Sure I myself attended college in Derry (4 miles across the border from Bridge End in Donegal), and when people were heading 'south' the plea was...yep, you got it 'Bring back a load of Tayto'.

So there you have it the scene is set. It was a lovely Queensland night in the sleepy suburb of Oxley, Brisbane. A fund-raiser for the Brisbane Shamrocks GFC (www.come.to/shamrocks) was being hosted by Nick Carpenter. This fund-raiser was the fourth annual 'Hotel Carpenter' fancy dress party.

The night had passed with all the usual jollification, and the conclusion was the raffle. All the bottles of whiskey, the dinner vouchers and the other sundry prizes were coveted but none more so than the last remaining packet of Tayto crisps in Queensland which was to be the last raffle prize.

So when finally it was time to raffle the packet, and the winning ticket wasn't immediately claimed, a frenzy started. Someone from the crowd shouted 'I'll give two dollars for them', and before you could say 'Salt and Vinegar', someone had offered 20 dollars. So Harold Peacock being the shrewd businessman that he is realised that these crazy Irish people had lost it over this packet of Tayto, so abandoned the raffle in favour of a fund-raising straight fight (otherwise known as an auction).

Glen Carpenter performed the auctioneer services. It started politely, 2 dollars, then $2.50, but in no time we were at $40. At this stage all the Aussies in attendance were gazing in amazement at the foaming mouths of the Irish in the audience who were willing to pay $40 dollars for a PACKET OF TAYTO? But alas it didn't stop there!

It became a gloves off, slap-my-face dual between Roscommon�s Padraig Butler and Dublin�s Conor Walshe, both still reeling from their side's departure in the All-Ireland quater-finals, and trying to restore some pride in the county.

At $55 dollars, it looked like Mr Walshe has restored some pride for the blues, but Roscommon weren't beaten yet! In stepped Mr Butler with a $60 bid....the Aussies were now suffering shock... how/why they were asking?

But then Dublin�s finest moment of the summer (well winter here). In stepped Mr Walshe with a winning $65 bid! Mr Butler said later that he was willing to go higher but auctioneer Carpenter finished up a bit too quick (he did in fairness) as he didn't believe anyone would actually pay up, and to give the man credit, Mr Walshe had his hand in his pocket straight away!

Graciously, Mr Walshe then proceeded to open the packet and allowed the Aussies to sample the pleasure of a TAYTO crisp ($5 a crisp... not really).

Attached (see above right) is a photo of the presentation of the crisps, left to right Mr Harold Peacock (Aussie), Chairman of Brisbane Shamrocks GFC, Mr Glen Carpenter (Aussie), auctioneer for the night, Mr Conor Walshe (Balinteer), $65 dollar man, and Mr Nick Carpenter (Meath), host for the night and Chairman of Queensland Gaelic Association.

And that�s it folks, I leave you with one question, what would they have got for a packet of Cheese and Onion?

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