Paul McErlean of McErlean’s Bakeries, who has passed away aged 87, was one of Ireland’s top home bakers, and former chairman of the Ulster Home Bakers’ Association. 

Alongside his baking, McErlean was also once an Antrim Gaelic footballer in the 1940s and 1950s.

McErlean’s Bakeries was a highly successful business, with outlets in west and north Belfast, led by Paul’s late brother Thaddeus.

McErlean was a longstanding advocate for high-quality baking in Northern Ireland. One of his most notable moments came when US President Bill Clinton bought bread in a McErlean’s Bakery on the Falls Road, during his visit to Belfast in 1995.