The joy of making a proper cup of tea is a ritual that I have really come to enjoy since I have moved to Ireland. Sheehy's tea comes from a small general store in a village called Lixnaw, about eight miles south-west of Listowel. The store has been in the family for three or four generations and sells a miscellany of stuff including bike spares and funeral bouquets. When I was in there the other day they had a huge display of porridge and loaves of bread and little else.

But Sheehy's is famous for its unique blend of tea. Its bought loose straight from the chest and carefully measured by old Mr Sheehy before being wrapped carefully into the bags you see in the pictures. All the time this is accompanied by chit chat about the weather, how to make proper tea and Kerry's hopes in this years championship (up the Kingdom!).

Tea (and service) like it used to be.