It was because Murphy, an inveterate crisp-eater, found the products on offer to be so insipid - the only "flavour" available was salt, which had to be sprinkled from a little bag sold inside the packet - that he launched his own crisp company in the Republic of Ireland in 1954. The company was Tayto, today one of the best-known Irish brand names. He started the business on O'Rahilly's Parade in Dublin with one van and eight employees, some of whom were to work for him for more than 30 years.