Tea came to Ireland in the early 1800s and was immediately classified as a luxury product, having arrived from far away India on a clipper ship. Right from the beginning, upper class, wealthy people began holding tea parties, and once it became—pardon the pun—steeped into the culture, the other classes did as well.

Some people say that tea is Ireland’s other “national drink” (after stout) and with the average person downing 1,300 cups annually, it is an important part of the culture.Support Ballsy History