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AN IRISH MAN living in Sweden has convinced a well-known Scandinavian company to replace the Union Jack flag on their crisp packaging with the tricolour.
The packets of salt and vinegar crisps produced by Estrella feature a story of an Irish man – Joe ‘Spud’ Murphy – who was the first in the world to come up with the cheese and onion and salt and vinegar flavours. Just under the story, however, there is a Union Jack.
Niall Mullins, who moved to Sweden in 2001, has been irked by the crisps for years and this week he decided to write the company a strongly worded email.
Speaking to TheJournal.ie he said, “I suppose they just broke me one day, I just got a bit mischievous because I had time on my hands and I didn’t expect an answer from them but they got back to me within two days.”
In email correspondence, Estrella apologised “profusely” for the mistake and said it will “correct this as soon as the next batch goes to print”.
Mullins said he’s looking forward to seeing the first pack with the Irish flag on it and is hoping the company will send him a few freebies for pointing out their error.
It’s likely to be a few months before the new packs hit the shelves so we’ve created a mock-up of what they might look like. Maybe Estrella will spot it and model the new design on ours…
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That mock-up is almost as brilliant as the painting in Spain that that old woman ‘refurbished’.
Thanks Rory, I put a lot of work into it.
Well done Michelle. It even looks like it’s waving! You’re wasting your time as a journalist. No, I mean it…you are!
Great comment great story well done guys
It’d be so much better Michelle if you could learn the difference between the Union Jack and Union Flag. I think you’ll find it’s latter. But that would actually be good journalism then…
Says Tonybeegood – the famous Pulitzer prize-winning Tonybeegood.
Killjoy.
I meant Tony = Killjoy.
Tony’s wrong: http://www.flaginstitute.org/wp/british-flags/the-union-jack-or-the-union-flag/
“It is often stated that the Union Flag should only be described as the Union Jack when flown in the bows of a warship, but this is a relatively recent idea.”
If you’re going to be pedantic, at least be sure you’re right. Otherwise you just look foolish…
Ignoreland, does this look like a f*ckin’ warship to you? If not, then I’m actually right.
You’re an angry little man, aren’t you.
Tony, again the link shown states that Union Jack and Union Flag were and are one and the same thing. it was only recently that people thought there must be a difference between the two. However, if you’d clicked on the link and read it you would see that the link concludes with the following words: ‘Such use was given Parliamentary approval in 1908 when it was stated that “the Union Jack should be regarded as the National flag”.’
So there is no difference between the two.
I’m glad to see that Michelle has taken my advice and changed it from Union Jack to Union Flag. Happy to do your job for you. My invoice is in the post.
@Tony. I think you should have read the quoted text. Here you go: “It is often stated that the Union Flag should only be described as the Union Jack when flown in the bows of a warship, but this is a relatively recent idea. From early in its life the Admiralty itself frequently referred to the flag as the Union Jack, whatever its use, and in 1902 an Admiralty Circular announced that Their Lordships had decided that either name could be used officially. Such use was given Parliamentary approval in 1908 when it was stated that “the Union Jack should be regarded as the National flag”.” Kinda blows your counter-argument out of the water doesn’t it?
Might be worthwhile sending him up North. Solve the olde flag issue once and for all.
Common usage of the wrong term (i.e. Union Jack) is through simple ignorance. I’m just trying to do my beat to educate the people on here, whether they are the author or the readers.
I see what you did there David….warship…blown out of the water…..bravo!
Tongue in cheek Michelle… ;-)
Miserable git.
Yes, and a big ‘WELL DONE” to Niall Mullens.
Tony, I’m after posting a link showing that you’re wrong. Thinking there’s a difference between Union Jack and Union Flag is just something people trying to sound smart bring up, when in actuality there’s no difference. If you were to ever go on QI, Stephen Fry would have the buzzer lying in wait for you.
Badass over here.
Tiny = troll!! And stop feeding him!
Sorry should be Tony. On second thoughts though, Tiny might be aporopriate?
Jack it in, Tony you pedant!
“I’m trying to do my beat to educate the people on here” ??????
If you are going to write down a comment like that, then maybe you should proof read it first you clown.
Gary…he might just be a Rastaman doin’ his beat mon!
@ tonybegood
the Union Jack is also often called ” the butchers apron”
@tonybegood I think its the English flag that’s known as the butchers apron and not the British flag as you wrote.
Your actually a tosser
Another flag bites the dust Tony!
Why make all that fuss about the British flag! Who cares? Just think about the person who put the Scandinavians right! Éire go breá!
I love you Harry! ;)
“do my beat to educate”
Brilliant job you’re doing, I’ll do my beat as well.
they might shoot him
that would shut his big mouth once and for all
Well done to this man. Its only correct for him to point out the error allowing it to be rectified. Well done to the company in question to be open enough to take the criticism & correct the mistake.
Thanks dude;)
well done to this man ?
arguing about a packet of crisps
he sounds like the kind of fella who gets a glass smashed into his face some day
and everybody in the pub will say
too good for him
he got what was coming to him
Well done Niall. Anything successful from Our Shores the brits try to claim.
The crisps are Swedish…
And we claim anything Swedish.
Ikea was originally called O’Kea and was founded by 2 brothers from Leitrim until the Swedes bought them out in a hostile takeover…
The Swedes are able to produce said flavoured crisps because of an Irishman and give credit to him for it.
they got the oil
they got the gas and we go around like fools boasting we ‘got rid’ of them
Ah, now I want a crisp sandwich! Batch loaf with spreadable kerrygold and a mug of Lyons tea!
sexual
Lyons tea is an English company Barry’s is your only man
Haha… But I prefer Lyons extra strong tea!!
Lyons tea is the only tea.
There’s no such thing as Irish tea. Unless you can tell me what county it’s growing in
Never been in a supermarket then Pauric….
Lyons is owned by Unilever which is a Dutch company. Sorry to be pedantic.
You can still drink Lyons tea Pauric, even if it’s Dutch. Their Orange flavoured tea is lovely!!
Bewleys tea is the best
I wouldn’t switch to Bewleys for all the teeth in China.
Is that your ” biting” wit Johnny or just a typo?!
That’s a lot of teeth. Who wouldn’t want a load of teeth?
i guess we can’t admit we like it.. unless it was made in ireland
Heartbreaking news to Patrick Lyons, I’m sure.
I think I am having a nervous breakdown Seán. I will have to seek medical treatment.
Pack of tayto will sort you pauric.
You could have a packet of Kings crisps instead. Made by the Tayto co. but maybe more palatable to your particular tastes. :0
King crisps it is then Dylan. Good thinking!
King crisps made with British Queens…
“I suppose they just broke me one said, I just got a bit mischievous because I had time on my hands and I didn’t expect an answer from them but they got back to me within two days.”
Can anyone explain the first 8 words of that sentence?
Confused me too. He must have been speaking Swedish and it was lost in translation.
I think he meant to say “I suppose they just broke me one day”. Typo.
he must have been talking through his ho**
could only be irish
Well done Niall. The tricolor will definitely increase sales like the pubs here in Florida with Irish names owned by Brits and Americans. There’s one changed from Linksters to The Paddy Wagon with no Irish connection, another one called Murphy’s used mainly by Brits, The Leprachaun, owned by a Dub man same owner as the one on International Drive is full of hillbillies ..Irish names definitely do attract customers
They can eat them with corned beef and cabbage.
1-0
I was so happy when Estrella brought out Salt & Vinegar flavour. The Swedes are not crazy about vinegar.
I love a good crisp story, keep the crisp stories coming…
“X Tea is the best”
“Y Crisps are the best”
As Clint Eastwood said :
Opinions are like a55holes – everyone
Has one …
I love when these stories get taken over by the squabbling opinions being posted! It’s like a written word soap opera and I can’t get enough of it! Feck the crisps story!
Actually prefer Ruairi myself ;)
God we really do have little to be worrying about in this country, will we ever ever move on???
Fair play to yer man. Spud Murphy was Irish & not British so it’s right that the Irish flag goes with his name & not the UK flag.
We have this country, and our flag, because Irishman and women fought and suffered for it. You should respect that.
michael collins was a fool
he died for nothing
if he saw what ireland,, has become he would puke
fair play to yer man arguing over a pack of crisps ?
we got rid of FF and look what we have now
independents and SF
no wonder this country has gone down the drain
It’s this kind of small minded pettiness that keeps Ireland where it is.
How is it small minded pettiness?
And why is it small minded and petty to ask for accurate representation in advertising ?…how about if someone in another country is selling something that’s got its origins in Sweden uses the finnish or Danish flag. … is that ok? ….. we are irish and have an irish flag not the union Jack
imagine how stupid you have to be to argue about a pack of crisps ?
will somebody put on a pair of steel toe working boots and give that pathetic loser a running kick into the stones ?
First Belfast city hall now this . Our poor wee fleag .
you could use the flag like a towel
after you wash the blood off your hands
Now we know who to name the new bridge after!
Lol! Excellent. I’m presuming you mean Joe “spud” Murphy! ?:)
The Niall Mullins Bridge over the liffy..I like the sound of that. The heros of Ireland fought for the freedom of countries from tyranny, wrote Nobel prize winning poetry and novels, explored and discovered new lands or came closer to the south pole than any other, such is what qualifies you to be considered to have a bridge over the liffy named after you. Niall, on the other hand, writes an polite yet annoyed email to a crisp company and forwards it to the journal.ie.. brilliant.
God loves a tryer Carl ;):)
People in these countries don’t know the difference between the UK and Ireland and they really don’t care.
I was asked once by a French guy “what’s the difference between UK and Ireland?”. I was lost for words.
They really couldn’t care less what flag is on their crisps I’d say. It’ll make no difference to sales.
Aah but we can educate those who are ignorant! ..? Perhaps it is better to mix with people who have a little knowledge of overseas countries!
You should’ve asked him what part of Vichy France he was from.
the only difference it will make
is there will be an irish wan*** going around like
boasting he set them right like
the brits blah blah blah
fu**ing idiot
How very true Ger, loads of sad f**kers in this country who spend their every waking hour looking for reasons to slag off the Brits.
Hello Michelle
I like the cut of this man’s gib.
do you like rancheros ?
The worst thing you could eat is crisps…
I have tried nails but I would prefer crisps.
Crisps > dog poo
often noticed it but always presumed salt n vinegar was english in origin.funnily enough many swedes really dislike salt n vinegar crisps.
Whats All this about Crisps there Taytos not crisps as everyone knows !
Any chance to see the email he sent??
Send me your email and I can personally forward it to you. Think you should be able to access my Facebook through here so pm me.
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