It is an undoubtably Irish thing to do to drink tea in times of crisis. That hot liquid is somehow immediately comforting and soothing. A number of Galway J1 students in Berkeley had used up their summer supply of tea, in the wake of the recent tragedy, when infamous Irish company Barry's generously came to their rescue.
In the immediate aftermath of the incident in California, the students had taken to drinking tea constantly with their friends to try and establish a comfort link to home. However they quickly ran out of the Irish brew and one of the J1 student's mothers' contacted Barrys Tea to let them know of the students plight. The firm immediately responded by sending out 480 teabags.
Five 21-year-old Dublin students - Eimear Walsh, Eoghan Culligan, Lorcán Miller, Nick Schuster and Olivia Burke - and Ms Burke’s Irish-American cousin Ashley Donohoe (22 ), from Rohnert Park, California - were killed when the fourth-floor balcony they were standing on collapsed at an early morning 21st birthday party on June 16th. Seven other students were injured in the accident, including a number seriously.
