Monty’s potato is the pick of the bunch at annual Spud Fest
THE community gathered at the Horse and Hound in Delgany recently to decide which one spud would rule them all.
Spud Fest – a competition taken extremely seriously by its six entrants, three judges, and many more spectators – has been running for six years, but this was the first time the bar’s new owners Mark and Mary Molloy would oversee proceedings.
They just took over the Horse and Hound on June 1 so were brand new to the local tradition.
Mary explained that people in the area grew their own potatoes then came along and cooked them on-site.
They were provided with grills and aprons to either steam or boil their fare.
Gordon ‘Monty’ Hunter was the unanimous winner on the day, with all three judges saying he had grown and cooked the perfect spud.
Joint second place went to Martina Breen and Robert Benson.
The judges were Peter Robbie, auctioneer Gabriel Dooley, and Claire O’Brien from the Bear Paw deli.
Mary and Mark’s son Danny (14) delivered the plates to the judges, who did not know who had cooked which dish. They could use salt, pepper and a bit of butter to season their spuds, which they judged on appearance, taste and texture.