The Great Irish Bake Off was an Irish reality TV cooking series. The show is based on the successful BBC show The Great British Bake Off. The show is produced by Sideline Productions for the TV3 Group. It premiered on TV3 Ireland on 19 September 2013, has been broadcast for two seasons with a third season running from Sunday 25 October 2015. Series 1 and 2 were broadcast on Thursday nights from 21:00. Series 3 launched in a Sunday night slot on 25 October 2015 at 21:00. In August 2016, the TV3 Group confirmed the series would not return for a fourth season run, however the broadcaster did not rule out of returning to the series at a later date. The show is replaced by Masterchef Ireland and Celebrity Masterchef Ireland.
Format
The show consists of 8 episodes where in each episode the bakers are tasked with two different challenges; a signature bake and a technical bake or a technical bake and a showstopper. Unlike The Great British Bake Off, the bakers only face two challenges each episode, the bakes are then critically examined by the judges who will then choose a "Star Baker" and a baker to be eliminated from the competition. Twelve contestants were chosen for each series.
Series overview
Series 1 (2013)
Series 1 of The Great Irish Bake Off saw twelve home bakers take part in a bake-off to test their baking skills as they battled to be crowned The Great Irish Bake Off's best amateur baker. Each week saw the bakers put through two challenges in a particular discipline. The series final saw Stephen Chisholm win with Maryanne Dalton and Will De Korte as the runners up.
Series 2 (2014)
Series 2 of The Great Irish Bake Off saw twelve home bakers take part in a bake-off to test their baking skills as they battled to be crowned The Great Irish Bake Off's best amateur baker. The second series aired in Summer 2014 and was filmed at Tinakilly House, Co Wicklow.
Series 3 (2015)
Series 3 of The Great Irish Bake Off returns to Tinakilly House, Co Wicklow and sees twelve home bakers take part in a bake-off to test their baking skills as they battle to be crowned The Great Irish Bake Off's best amateur baker. Cork born Lilly Higgins - food blogger, Irish Times Columnist, photographer and author, will join Paul Kelly - Executive Pastry Chef at Dublin's Merrion Hotel - as a judge and the third series began airing on Sunday 25 October 2015 with a repeat showing on Saturday evenings. The winner was Cathy Mac Kenna from Monaghan who beat Emer Hough and Clare Ryan in the Grand Final. In 'The Great Irish Christmas Bake Off' - a one off seasonal special - judges Paul Kelly and Lilly Higgins demonstrated Christmas bakes and makes and there was a Celebrity Bake Off between Pantomime Stars and Presenters. Actor George McMahon and singer Leanne Moore represented Team Panto while Lucy Kennedy and Martin King from TV3's 'Seven O'Clock Show' were on the Presenters team. The judges crowned Leanne Moore Star Baker.
Reception
Critical reception
The show averaged over 200,000 viewers per episode and returned for a second series in Summer 2014 and a third in the Autumn of 2015. Series 3 opened with ratings up 25% on the previous year.
