The new bridge champions of Ireland were elected at the weekend. The Specsavers "Fun Teams" took place in Westmanstown Leisure Centre on Saturday with a massive number of 69 teams taking part.
Even in an event of this size and publicity a team managed to turn up without being entered. How this can happen I don't know as other teams I know had been practicing for 3-4 months out.
The most common words I heard while setting up the event with the other workers (who will be mentioned later) was .."I have to find my partner .. I have never met him/her"
This means there were possibly 10-15 nervous novices about to play with a MASTER for a whole day that they had never met despite probably living within 10 miles of the person. Just my thoughts and I might be wrong. I have experience of this. 25 years ago I was meant to play in a Master Novice event in Malahide as I left my number on a sheet. Of course nobody told me about it so I never showed up until about 1030 that night. By then they had found a new partner for my nervous novice and I drank my pint and thought no more about it. Next evening I was sitting down to play in the Bankers Bridge Club when Gerry Kelly walked in and chortles .."It was you It was you pointing at me and talking to me " I was completely surprised by his comments and reaction. Turned out Gerry Ryan had done a "Most Embarrassing Moments" item on his radio show that morning and my novice had felt embarrassed enough to ring in ..
(She was embarrassed when I strolled in none the wiser at 1030pm without a care in the world. The bridge event had been held up for 30 minutes while they sourced another partner for her so my arrival caused some shades of red) Poor Gerry is long gone but somewhere on some reel of tape is the story of Eamon Galligan and the Novice player.
So who are the Champions of Ireland ...I think it is County Laois
1st Damien Nee Heather Ridgeway Susanne Downes and Margaret Nee
2nd Louth
3rd Meath
4th Cavan
5th Wicklow
6th Dublin South
Former legendary Irish junior international Jamie Martin togged out for his native Kilkenny and performed fairly well in 13th place out of 69.
Nicky Fitzgibbon and Trish Stack turned up representing what they call the Kingdom.
The Trayer Team won the best spectacles ... the event being sponsored by Specsavers
Only 23 of the 280 folk present felt the need of a FREE hearing test.
Funny how very few of them ever hear a director giving them information or asking them to finish up please. Of course several of our bridge folk would be already geared up with hearing apparatus.
George Ryan of the Irish Times turned up in person to collect the results. He always shows up at National events to get the results. George was once an avid bridge player but has not touched a card in over 40 years. He stopped for Lent one year and has not started since.
Former bridge TV star Thomas Lawlor showed up wearing a Manchester United jersey.
Although representing Louth this avid Meath GAA fan could not be seen in a Louth jersey.
Thomas appeared on the Consuming Passions series some years ago with among others the well know BJ OBrien. BJ currently is recovering from a broken ankle.
I showed him a book that Michael O'Loughlin recently published and sent me a copy.
George said "Very well presented"
George was the author of the ancient bridge manuscripts "The Bones of Bridge"
and maybe another one called "More of the Flesh"
One was yellow and one was pink ..
Michaels book is called "Bridge: Basic Card Play "
http://www.amazon.com/Bridge-Basic-Card-Michael-OLoughlin/dp/0957270518
Brian Lawlor Paul O'Reilly Eamon Galligan Bernard Higgins worked as TDs
Paul Porteus and Norma Madden done lots of stuff too
Bert McKay sorted out lots of boards at the end
Many players put away tables
Danny Liddy drove a bus from the West Munster area.
CBAI Office also have it for sale .. CBAI members get a 10% discount when purchasing books and software down at the office in Templogue.
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http://www.regentbridgeclub.ie/ if you reckon you are good at bridge and have some stamina.
There is a major event with a prize of 1000 euro for the winner taking place over 4 Fridays of the summer.
Click the link for details. All contact details are there. Turn up on the respective Friday nights but you need 3 different partners to qualify for the main prize.
There is a rumour that Paula Tolan will be singing a song each evening. Paula is secretary of the Regent Bridge Club and will assist with any details on the event. Folk can ring the club any night after 7pm and Declan Byrne or whoever is in charge will assist enquiries.
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There was also another event on at the weekend ..a 6 team event called the Egan.
This was one by Brid Kemple Aoife McHale Terry Walsh and Peter Goodman on a split tie from another Team.
I don't have much detail on this event. However details might appear on CBAI website or IBU section soon.
In the past this event selected the Irish representatives for the European Club championships but I don't think we play in it these days. Think qualification is tied to the National Team performance.
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Next up the M50 teams .. in Templogue .. with Brian Lawlor cracking the whip ..
assisted by Eamon Galligan and John Murray and some other North Dublin bridge workers.
Dublin North Region runs the event this year for the 4 regions touching the M50.
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Now its nearly time to cheer the Meckwell Crazycrackers comeback in the US Trials.
They trail by 60 imps after 30 boards... 60 boards left ..
Nickell teams have pulled back bigger deficits in the past but the opposition has improved massively since then. In the past Team Nickell would be odds on favourites for any US trials but this year they are playing for the 2nd Team placing.
These 4 lads have already won the US trials and qualified for Bermuda Bowl 2013.
Not too many grey hairs there ...but they know bridge. The oldest is about 35 years of age.
Coverage of the final 4 segments starts on BBO today June 10th at 1500 hours Irish time..
However its a fantastic sunny day out side so there won't be much bridge watched.
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