Irish tea ("a good strong cup")
The Irish drink some of the most tea per head on Earth, favouring a robust, malty, milky brew that anchors hospitality and everyday life.
Ireland is among the most devoted tea nations on the planet, sitting second only to Turkey in tea consumed per person, with many drinking several cups a day. The Irish preference is for a notably strong, dark, malty brew — blends leaning heavily on Assam — always taken with milk. The great domestic loyalties are to Barry's Tea and Lyons Tea, brands that inspire near-tribal allegiance. Tea is the reflexive answer to almost any moment: a visitor is put sitting down with "you'll have a cup of tea" before coats are off, and refusing outright can require negotiation. Tea accompanies news good and bad, wakes and weddings, the builder's break and the late-night chat. Where the English cuppa can be genteel, the Irish version prizes strength above all — a weak, pale cup is a minor betrayal, and "a good strong cup" is the standard everyone aims for.
How it's prepared
Boiling water over strong loose or bagged black tea, brewed a good few minutes (often "scalded" in a warmed pot) until dark and full-bodied, then milk added. Strength is the point — the tea should be able to "trot a mouse across it."
The vessel
A generous mug for daily drinking or a teacup for company, refilled from the family teapot kept close at hand.
Its social role
Tea is the currency of Irish hospitality and empathy — offering and accepting a cup is how welcome, comfort and solidarity are expressed at every threshold of life, from casual visits to funerals.
What accompanies it
Milk (and sugar for some); brown bread, scones, biscuits, or cake — the "tea and a bit of something" pairing.