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The Great Irish Bake Off: Meet the 12 bakers

The show kicks off tonight.

Sep 19th 2013, 7:30 PM 3,969 Views 1 Comment

THE GREAT IRISH Bake Off starts tonight on TV3.

The format is based on the popular BBC baking competition, pitting amateur bakers against each other in a series of confectionery challenges.

The show débuts tonight at 9pm, and will be presented by Anna Nolan alongside judges Biddy White Lennon and Paul Kelly.

Look at them there now. Delighted.

judges2

But it’s the contestants that are the true stars, as always. Why not get acquainted with the lovely 12 before tuning in later.

The Great Irish Bake Off: Meet the 12 bakers
1 / 12

  • Aoife Nic Aonghusa, 25

    Aoife grew up in Carbury, Kildare, which is only one letter away from Cadbury. She works in Ulster Bank as a Capital Forecasting Analyst and lives in Smithfield. So now.

  • Barbara Dolan, 37

    Barbara grew up in Balbriggan but lives with her family in Balrothery. She's a stay-at-home mum to four kids, and recently joined a ‘GAA for Mothers’ team.

  • Brigit Harney, 28

    Bridget grew up on an organic farm in Hollywood. Not the actual Hollywood-Hollywood, but the Hollywood in Wicklow. She now lives in Stoneybatter in Dublin and works as an Occupational Therapist in broad mental health in the community in Ballyfermot.

  • Daire Begley, 42

    Daire's mammy taught him how to cook as a young lad growing up in Dublin. He lives in Kildare with his wife and two kids and works in a pharmaceutical company as a Quality Control Manager. Daire loves animals and the outdoors. Unusual.

  • Jarek Orlowski, 30

    Jarek has been living in Ireland for seven years, having moved here from Poland. He lives with his professional Irish-dancer partner Gerard in Kilkenny and works in a bar in the city. He also has a dalmatian who he 'adores'. N'daw.

  • Laura Carroll, 17

    Sixth Year Laura lives in Donaghmede and will do her Leaving Cert next year. She wants to bake for a living and plans to study Culinary Arts in DIT. She also dreams of becoming a Theoretical Physicist, as she is very interested in Mathematics and Physics. We're unsure which would pay better. Aside from all that, Laura is a keen musician and has her own YouTube channel, with her cover versions. Multi-talented.

  • Maryanne Dalton, 36

    Maryanne grew up with a big family in Killiney, Dublin and now lives in Rathfarnham with her partner and two dogs. Maryanne went to college in Maynooth and never left, as she now works there. All of her family are into food and sports; the two greatest pleasures in life.

  • Oonagh Barrett, 43

    Oonagh grew up in Enniscorthy, Wexford but now lives in Carlow with her two kids. She's a Holistic Health teacher and mainly teaches nutrition. She loves sports and music, has two dogs and five chickens, which aren’t just good for eggs but make great pets as well, she'll have you know.

  • Stephen Chisholm, 22

    Stephen is from Belfast and is studying Business & Economics at Newcastle University but goes home regularly to bake in his mum’s kitchen. Although Stephen likes university, he would prefer to be doing something in the food world. Stephen admits that he is not your ‘typical baker’, as he plays a lot of rugby, surfs and is a fully qualified ski instructor. He's a bro baker.

  • Steve Twydell, 42

    Steve is originally from the UK, but has lived with his family in Sligo for the past 15 years. He has seven children ranging in age from 19 to one and he recently became a granddad for the first time. He used to be a plumber and a carpenter, writes poetry and short stories in his spare time, has a great love of arts and crafts, and cares for children with special needs. Wadda man.

  • Tom Walton, 27

    Tom from Kilkenny is a Psychology Research Assistant in DCU, and also works as an Assistant Psychologist with people with autism in Dublin. Tom loves sports and completed several half marathons, now moving on to triathlons and is a keen cyclist.

  • Will De Korte, 29

    What a shirt. Will grew up in Limerick with his confectioner father and his baker grandfather. His dad actually discouraged him from becoming a baker because of the hard life and the anti-social hours. But sure he didn't listen, and look at him now.
  • Aoife grew up in Carbury, Kildare, which is only one letter away from Cadbury. She works in Ulster Bank as a Capital Forecasting Analyst and lives in Smithfield. So now.
  • Barbara grew up in Balbriggan but lives with her family in Balrothery. She's a stay-at-home mum to four kids, and recently joined a ‘GAA for Mothers’ team.
  • Bridget grew up on an organic farm in Hollywood. Not the actual Hollywood-Hollywood, but the Hollywood in Wicklow. She now lives in Stoneybatter in Dublin and works as an Occupational Therapist in broad mental health in the community in Ballyfermot.
  • Daire's mammy taught him how to cook as a young lad growing up in Dublin. He lives in Kildare with his wife and two kids and works in a pharmaceutical company as a Quality Control Manager. Daire loves animals and the outdoors. Unusual.
  • Jarek has been living in Ireland for seven years, having moved here from Poland. He lives with his professional Irish-dancer partner Gerard in Kilkenny and works in a bar in the city. He also has a dalmatian who he 'adores'. N'daw.
  • Sixth Year Laura lives in Donaghmede and will do her Leaving Cert next year. She wants to bake for a living and plans to study Culinary Arts in DIT. She also dreams of becoming a Theoretical Physicist, as she is very interested in Mathematics and Physics. We're unsure which would pay better. Aside from all that, Laura is a keen musician and has her own YouTube channel, with her cover versions. Multi-talented.
  • Maryanne grew up with a big family in Killiney, Dublin and now lives in Rathfarnham with her partner and two dogs. Maryanne went to college in Maynooth and never left, as she now works there. All of her family are into food and sports; the two greatest pleasures in life.
  • Oonagh grew up in Enniscorthy, Wexford but now lives in Carlow with her two kids. She's a Holistic Health teacher and mainly teaches nutrition. She loves sports and music, has two dogs and five chickens, which aren’t just good for eggs but make great pets as well, she'll have you know.
  • Stephen is from Belfast and is studying Business & Economics at Newcastle University but goes home regularly to bake in his mum’s kitchen. Although Stephen likes university, he would prefer to be doing something in the food world. Stephen admits that he is not your ‘typical baker’, as he plays a lot of rugby, surfs and is a fully qualified ski instructor. He's a bro baker.
  • Steve is originally from the UK, but has lived with his family in Sligo for the past 15 years. He has seven children ranging in age from 19 to one and he recently became a granddad for the first time. He used to be a plumber and a carpenter, writes poetry and short stories in his spare time, has a great love of arts and crafts, and cares for children with special needs. Wadda man.
  • Tom from Kilkenny is a Psychology Research Assistant in DCU, and also works as an Assistant Psychologist with people with autism in Dublin. Tom loves sports and completed several half marathons, now moving on to triathlons and is a keen cyclist.
  • What a shirt. Will grew up in Limerick with his confectioner father and his baker grandfather. His dad actually discouraged him from becoming a baker because of the hard life and the anti-social hours. But sure he didn't listen, and look at him now.

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About the author
Nicola Byrne
nicola@dailyedge.ie

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