Hilary an all-round goddess

On April 21, Hilary Blum, who lives in Cluain Ard, Kilmaley, was crowned as Domestic Goddess on RTÉ 1 television’s Four Live afternoon show.

“They held a competition looking for Ireland’s Domestic Goddess, somebody who could do a bit of everything, all sorts of crafty things. A friend nominated me and myself and five others were picked out,” Hilary, who volunteers on Mondays and Tuesdays at the Kilmaley Day Care Centre, explained.
She was nominated by Joanne Culligan, who told the show producers in her letter that her friend is well able to multi-task.
“She really can turn her hand to anything and I have pieces of her artwork on my walls, pieces of her pottery on my shelves, pieces of jewellery she made on my dresser. The list goes on,” Joanne explained in her letter.
“As well as regular donations of homemade bread, chutneys and cards made with love for our special days, she also knits and crochets in any spare time she might have. All this AND looks after her family and Molly the dog and Ginger the cat (who is ill at the moment) and is a regular volunteer at her local day care centre, where she does flower arranging,” Joanne added.
The six Domestic Goddess candidates were eventually whittled down but not before their capabilities were examined.
“They went to everyone’s home and they did a profile on them. Then they showed it the following week. They showed where you lived, what your life was like and the kind of person you were. On the second week then we went off to Carlingford in Louth to Ghan House.
“We started off at six in the morning and by lunchtime we were down to four. By evening we were down to two. Myself and another girl, Joyce Phelan, were the last two left,” Hilary said.
Their final challenge came live from Dundrum.
“They gave us €10 and they wanted us to make a creative Easter centrepiece for a dining room table. The theme was Spring in Full Bloom. You couldn’t spend above the €10 and we had to bring back receipts. I wasn’t being mean but I didn’t spend my €10 at all!” Hilary laughed.
So what did she use to create her centrepiece?
“It was all the stuff that you’d get in the hedgerow, things you’d have in your garden. Stuff like all the spring flowers, everything that was blooming at the time,” she explained, adding that she included small Easter eggs in her creation. “They also gave us the challenge of having to ice an Easter cake,” she said.
Hilary’s prize is a three-day stay at the G Hotel in Galway, although she hasn’t gone there yet.
Asked to divulge what her most potent strength as a Domestic Goddess is, Hilary said it’s probably her versatility.
“I’d say a bit of everything really. I’d tackle anything craft wise or creative wise. I wouldn’t say I’m a genius but I give a hand where it’s needed. I love making and I love giving. I get as much joy out of giving something as I would out of making it,” she explained.