Highlights from the regional finals of the 27th Calor Housewife of the Year competition.
The finalists for the 1995 'Calor Housewife of the Year' competition were selected from regional finals held in Dublin, Monaghan, Cork and Galway. More than 1,000 housewives from all 32 counties were interviewed before 28 were finally chosen for the regional finals.
At each regional final the six finalists were required to cook a two-course meal for two people before being interviewed by the judging panel. They then went on stage for an interview with Gay Byrne.
During the Calor Housewife of the Year final, broadcast live from the National Concert Hall in Dublin, presenter Gay Byrne introduces a compilation film,
A short taste of the sort of galivanting that went on around the country in the regional finals.
While the women reveal all sorts of information about themselves, one of the finalists discovers Gay Byrne's dislike of broccoli. She knew he did not like Brussels sprouts so avoided cooking them in her two-course meal. She is relieved Gay Byrne enjoys parsley sauce, which she made for the competition.
One finalist's ambition is to go on an aeroplane, and hopes her 25th wedding anniversary present will be a trip from Limerick to Dublin, or from Dublin to Limerick.
Some of the finalists talk about what attracted them to their spouse. One woman finds men in uniform very attractive. Gay Byrne interjects,
Even a bus conductor's uniform, anything at all.
Another contestant, a nurse, met her husband when he was a patient. Their eyes met over the bedpan.
On their second date at Muckross Gardens in Killarney, County Kerry, another finalist's husband proposed.
I told him to get lost.
One of the finalists describes her typical day, which during the summer months is 19 hours long. She starts baking at 6:30 am and can be found relaxing with the ironing at around midnight. Gay Byrne is astounded,
No home should be without one, little treasure, wait till I go back to Kathleen Watkins and tell her all of that.
Gay Byne holds a finalist's skirt while she demonstrates her Irish dancing abilities. He gamely joins in when she links his arm and leads him in time to the music.
Philomena Delaney from Corbally, County Limerick won the 1995 'Calor Housewife of the Year' competition. The other finalists were Sheila Murphy from Castleblaney, County Monaghan; Teresa Kelly from Lusk, County Dublin; Siobhan Gallagher from County Roscommon, Helen Lawton from County Wexford and Breda Fitzgerald from County Cork.
The final of the 'Calor Housewife of the Year’ was broadcast on 3 April 1995. The presenter is Gay Byrne.
