South Side Irish Soda Bread Contest Returns To Reilly's Daughter

OAK LAWN, IL — Tell your grandma to get baking because Reilly’s Daughter’s famed Irish Soda Bread Contest gets underway at 111th Street and Pulaski Road in Oak Lawn Saturday, March 9.

Registration takes place from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., when the contest begins. If you make the best Irish soda on this side of the Emerald Isle, enter your loaf for a chance to win airfare for two to Ireland, or cash prizes.

For over 20 years Boz O’Brien’s Irish Soda Bread Contest reigned supreme on the South Side during the month of March. Families would gather at Reilly’s Daughter and root on their mothers’ and grandmothers’ as a panel of South Side sliced up their yeastless wonders to be judged by a panel of South Side politicians of Irish descent. Since the O’Brien sons’ triumphant return in 2015 to 4010 W. 111th St. in Oak Lawn, the young lads have brought back many of their old man’s traditions.

Over 200 entries are expected at Reilly's Daughter's Irish Soda Bread Contest

Almost every Irish family has a recipe for Irish Soda Bread written on a scrap of floury paper or tucked away in a cookbook. The yeastless bread dates back to Irish famine times in the 1830s when ingredients were scarce. The original recipe called for flour, salt, baking soda or bicarbonate of soda, and sour or buttermilk.

Reilly’s Daughter has an afternoon of wholesome family fun planned, including an appearance by Gaelic Brew, direct from Ireland. We’re sure there’ll be a chorus or two of “South Side Irish” as O’Reilly’s kicks off the South Side Mardi Gras of St. Patrick’s Day events.

Past contests have attracted over 200 entries. The loaves will be judged by discerning South Side pols of Irish descent, including Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart, Oak Lawn Mayor Terry Vorderet, Mayor Kelly Burke of Evergreen Park, IBEW Local 134 President Tom Fitzgibbons, IUOE Local 399 business agent, Vince Winters, Rep. Mary Gill, Sen. Bill Cunningham, and former Reilly’s Daughter bartender Ald. Matt O’Shea (19th).

The Chicago St. Patrick’s Day Parade Queen Grace O’Conner and her court of five, as well as the newly crowned South Side Irish Parade Queen Mary Kate Barron, will be sampling the spotted dog.

So get out the flour, salt, bicarbonate of soda, and sour or buttermilk and get baking, because anything else added it’s a tea cake.