Mrs. O'Reillys Cake Shop Ballina - years ago!

Doolee

This is a bit of a long shot...

Are any of you lot old enough to remember this gem of a bakery in Ballina? When I was a kid, maybe 20 years ago we would visit cousins in mayo and the highlight was getting cakes ordered from this bakery. I dont remember the street it was on, all I know is that I've never tasted anything like her cakes; chocolate sponges with the thickest, yummiest icing, cream sponges with either the "old" or "new" icing, and merangues to die for!!! I'd love to know what ever happened to it or why it closed or...who has the recipes!

Nothing like a trip down memory lane.:rolleyes:

MoyVilla9

Didn't it only shut down like 5 or 6 years ago? Mightn't be that one though, I'm thinking of that bakery just up the street from Clarkes Fish Shop.

Daisy M

MoyVilla9 wrote: »

Didn't it only shut down like 5 or 6 years ago? Mightn't be that one though, I'm thinking of that bakery just up the street from Clarkes Fish Shop.

That was called Garveys, they did gorgeous stuff, not sure its the one op is referring too though.

Ilovelucy

That shop was beside mckanes pharmacy. Mmmmmmmm!

Doolee

MoyVilla9 wrote: »

Didn't it only shut down like 5 or 6 years ago? Mightn't be that one though, I'm thinking of that bakery just up the street from Clarkes Fish Shop.

Awe, well it was longer ago than that. I remember having the news broken to me as a kid that it had closed. Visits to the cousins were never the same again!
Im mad into baking now but have never seemed to make any type of icing/sponge cake close to her cakes. Im about to head into a 4 week cookery course so maybe I'll discover something during that.

Im heading up to Bellmulet for easter weekend and will be in Ballina so was hoping for someone to remember those cakes and say, yeah, theres ones just like them in blah place. Ah well. Better for the waste line.

I love the west all the same.

Daisy M

Well if you are going to belmullett there is a fab bakery there think its called o donaghues its on the main street. Nicest cakes I have ever tasted especially their chocolate fudge cake. Happy baking!

Doolee

Cool, thanks Is Mise,
Will defo be paying a visit...in Mrs. O Reillys memory!

finisklin

I think Reilly's is closed a long time.....maybe 15 years. The premises is now occupied by Gerry Kenny Sports on O'Rahilly Street.

There was always a good baking/bakers on tradition on O'rahilly Street and I can recall 5 bakeries on the street at one time!

Where the recipes are I don't know but I will see if I can suss out more details......

irishgeo

i went to college with the son of the owners of the garveys bakery.

Doolee

finisklin wrote: »

I think Reilly's is closed a long time.....maybe 15 years. The premises is now occupied by Gerry Kenny Sports on O'Rahilly Street.

There was always a good baking/bakers on tradition on O'rahilly Street and I can recall 5 bakeries on the street at one time!

Where the recipes are I don't know but I will see if I can suss out more details......

God I'd say its at least 15 years alright. Now I'm feeling old! My mam is from Ballina but she wont remember what happened or where things went with the shop.
Thats mad to think there was 5 bakeries on the one street. I hate it when these type of places close cause its such an art form, baking, even if its bad for the waistline! I baked a few cakes tonight for a cake sale and tried a totally different way of baking and my have figured out how Mrs. O Reilly always managed to get a sort of crunchy crust around the edge of her sponge cakes...but her icing is still a mystery

Finisklin do you remember every getting any cakes from there? Would love if you could suss out more info, thanks!
Will pay a visit to the sports shop anyway when I'm up there as I'm ironically a bit of a fitness freak. :rolleyes:

finisklin

My recollection is hazy and is only of the latter years....then it had a limited range and for some reason the shop wasn't that accessible (I can't remember why). Puff pastries stick out in my mind as well....

Clarke's did lovely crumpets, if you got early they were usually warm. Garveys did lovely school buns, nice and crisp on the top and made for a lovely Tayto sambo. There French sticks are easily the thing I miss the most of all the bakers on the street.....it was like Parisienne bread sticks. I think gaughans used them for their rolls etc.

Nan Ruane had a confectioners then on the bottom of the street where the jewellery shop is and she made lovely choclocate marzipan slices. I could eat them all day.....

Duffys did great doughnuts and choclate eclairs and fresh bread of course.

Funny, I remember visiting the newly opened Ilac centre in the early 80s with my mum and visiting KC confectioners (I think that was the name) and having jam doughnuts.....they were fantastic and never had I tasted anything as this dry doughnut with sugar coating and then this juicy jam inside....MMMMHHHHH, Delish. Sitting at the water fountain and stuffing my face with jam all over my mouth.....Agghhhh great daze.:D:D:D

oscarBravo

finisklin wrote: »

Funny, I remember visiting the newly opened Ilac centre in the early 80s with my mum and visiting KC confectioners (I think that was the name) and having jam doughnuts...

Don't know if it's where you mean, but a visit to the Kylemore Cafe was a must whenever we went to Dublin with my granny. Om nom sticky buns nom...

finisklin

I think it was KC confectioners but definitely in the Ilac mall.......