Ó Catháin Irish Whiskey

My task was to design the packaging for an Irish Whiskey created in honour of one of the largest and most well-known clans in Irish history.

The Ó Catháins were widely were known as the warrior clan of Ulster so they were no strangers to the battlefield. On a fateful May morning in 1260, they went up against the Normans at the infamous Battle of Down, completely outmatched and outnumbered. Despite their bravery, no less than 15 Ó Catháin chiefs lost their lives that day and the battle was sadly lost.

Ó Catháin whiskey set out to celebrate those brave warriors who knowingly faced certain death that day. They may not have won the battle but they died fighting for what they believed in, which is worthy of remembrance.

The packaging depicts a scene from the battle in a modern interpretation of an illuminated manuscript with a naive style of illustration typical to the middle ages. It uses intricate details, beautiful gold foil and textured parchment paper to tell the clan's story.