87-year-old ICA member to take part in Brown Bread Baker final

By Navjyoti Dalal

As a young girl in school, Bernadette Ennis received her first honour for bread baking, a bar of chocolate from her teacher. Now at 87, the Horseleap/Streamstown Irish Countrywomen's Association member has her eyes set on the 'best brown bread baker' award at the upcoming National Ploughing Championships (NPC), in Tullamore.

Recently, the Ballinagore-resident, baked herself a spot in the three finalists nominated by the Irish Countrywomen's Association (ICA). Earlier this week the ICA organised its National Brown Bread Baking Competition, to nominate its qualifying finalists for the NPC brown bread baking contest.

Among the winning trio is Bernadette Ennis from Co Westmeath, along with Ann Loftus from Co Mayo, and Geraldine Maguire from Co Meath.

Brown soda bread is to Ireland what is baguettes to France, or focaccia to Italy. It is deeply intertwined with our national and cultural identity. And of course it pairs beautifully with the Irish soups and stews. To celebrate the hearty brown bread, each year several baking competitions are held, with the holy grail being the one at the NPC. While three of the eight finalists at the NPC's Brown Bread Baking competition, come nominated by the ICA, five come from general public.

Called Ber by her friends, Bernadette is part of the Horseleap/Streamstown ICA Guild, and is rather active despite being in her late 80s. She woke up before dawn hours to bake her winning loaf. “I baked my own recipe, which I have created and perfected over time. I have been baking bread since I was a child,” said Bernadette, who won the aforementioned chocolate bar for a pillowy soft loaf of white bread. She has participated in agricultural shows in Mullingar and Moate.

For brown bread though, pillowy-soft is neither a good description nor an aspiring trait. “The ingredients are quite same in most recipes - plain white flour with meal, bran, bread soda, salt, pinch of brown sugar to tame the taste of bread soda, and buttermilk. But it's how you mix it up and bake is what makes all the difference,” said Bernadette, who also adds cream to her batter, if there's some left over.

Originally from Kilbeggan, Bernadette moved to Ballinagore after marriage. The skilled mother of seven, can knit, crochet and dance with a flair. She crocheted hearts for the Tullamore hospital. She plans to continue with her daily routines, ahead of the NPC finals in September. “My plan is not to worry, and bake my trusted recipe,” said Bernadette who will be accompanied by her daughters at the National Ploughing Championships.