Irish super hero Cú Chulainn

Ireland is a small country full of big tea drinkers! 4.4 pounds of tea a year are consumed for every man woman and child on the island -- many people drink 5 cups a day. For comparison, a United States citizen is likely to consume under a half pound per year. The Irish are famous for their strong brew, which is accompanied by a very generous amount of cream or milk that is often poured into the cup before the tea is added.

When designing the label for our best-selling breakfast tea, Ann insisted the image be of her favorite Irish super hero Cú Chulainn. I learned two things about Ann that day. First that her love for the Irish goes beyond River Dance, and second that she knows a lot about Irish folk lore!

Cú Chulainn's original name was Sétanta. His nickname comes from an incident when he was a child at which time he killed his host's guard dog in self-defense after arriving late to a party. Out of a sense of personal integrity he offered to assume the guard dog's role in protecting the stables. His oath turned out to be prophetic because he later became the protector of Ulster, one of the four provinces of Ireland, when he rode his chariot into battle and single-handedly defeated the armies of the warring Queen Medb.

There can be no better image for this strong breakfast tea than J. C. Leyendecker’s perfect depiction of Cú Chulainn. Just imagine what you will be ready for after drinking 5 cups!