Crisp and snack maker Ray Coyle, who last week agreed to pay 62.5m to buy iconic brand Tayto, introduced the American bison to Ireland about six years ago.

So what do you do with a herd of buffalo?

Why, naturally you lob in planning permission to develop an Indian village.

Coyle, the man behind Hunky Dorys crinkle crisps, started off with 50 buffalo he bought from a Belgian farmer after seeing the meat in a food hall in Germany. He now has 270 of the giant beasts and has helped to spread the buffalo craze to Donegal and Waterford.

Now Coyle has lodged a planning application to develop a 'Hunky Dorys Indian Way' on 70 acres beside his Ashbourne crisp factory. The idea is that busloads of school children will make the trip from Dublin to combine a tour of the Indian way with viewing the crisp factory.

The development, which Coyle hopes to open in 2008, will cost 3.5m . . . 4m to complete. As well as the teepees and totem poles, which he says will be imported from Vancouver. Coyle's plans include a log cabin style restaurant, a viewing platform for the buffalo and a multilingual computer guided learning experience about the native American way of life.

"There will a viewing point for 60 or 70 buffalo, " Coyle said.

He said he has been in talks with the Canadian embassy about sponsoring the project and about helping to source staff.

'Buffalo' flavour accounts for about 15% of Hunky Dorys sales . . . though that particular flavour is artificial. Coyle reckons the village will be a good marketing support for Hunky Dorys. "Everyone I've said it to said it's a damn good idea if you can get it right. I haven't come up with a formula for Tayto yet."

Buffalo breeding and crisp making are not the only distinguishing features of the Ashbourne native. He was also the first in Ireland to sell a farm by lottery; Mike Murphy conducted the TV draw in 1982.