Whether it’s a lunchtime mainstay, a midnight snack or eaten while hidden in a snug with a pint and a packet of crisps, the toastie has always been a staple of the Irish diet. Over the years, it’s evolved from the fundamental toasted special to something more complex and culturally diverse, but the foundations are still the same: the indulgent pleasure of real butter and the alchemy that happens when they meet bread and heat.