Who will follow Mayo woman Loretta McGuire as this year's Ploughing All-Ireland brown bread champion?

The National Brown Bread Baking Competition final takes place tomorrow, and one baker will follow in the footsteps of last year’s champion, Loretta McGuire from Barnatra.

Supported by Euronics in association with the National Ploughing Association (NPA) and the Irish Country Women’s Association (ICA), the winner will take home a cash prize of €5,000, as well as a NEFF Slide & Hide oven worth over €2,000.

After two days of semi-finals, tomorrow, Thursday, September 19 will see the much anticipated final of the competition. 

Unfortunately, there are no Mayo bakers in tomorrow's final to keep the brown bread crown in the county.

The finalists are Martin Malone from Dublin; Rose Egan from Offaly; Mary Rose Power from Meath and Noreen Collins from Cork.

Last year’s winner, Loretta McGuire, has had a fantastic, opportunistic year since her win at the 2023 competition, with her bread even hitting ALDI shelves nationwide.

Judges Eleanor Martin from NEFF, Thelma Burke from the ICA and the 1973 winner Eileen Brennan from the NPA will be tasked with choosing which brown bread has risen to the top of the competition.

The finals begin tomorrow at 12pm at the National Brown Bread Baking Competition tent (row 10, tent 148) with the winner being announced at 3pm.