So how are the pairs selected ... Well the first 7 pairs might be easy so lets have a go
1. Adam Mesbur and Nick Fitzgibbon ...
2. Thomas Hanlon and someone ..in this case John Carroll was easy as he would be making any list himself
3. BJ O'Brien ..well its probably 35 years since any event started without BJ.. and his current partner
David Jackson is also a very active player still
4. The O'Briain brothers ..
5. Karel de Raeymaker and Anna Onishuk
6. Gay Keaveney is a solid citizen and as it happens one of his current partners is regular Welsh international player Peter Goodman
7. Terry Walsh and Michael McGloughlin have been in the top ranking of Irish bridge players from
the early 80s and before ..and having recently made a partnership in Senior Trials cannot be ignore
8. 9. 10. Current trials form should not be ignored so all 6 players on the recent losing finalist team in the IBU trials are included
Wojciech Marcin Ranald Thomas and Ronan with the very capable James Heneghan added as BJ O'Brien was already selected.
11. Donal MacAonghusa and Ciaran Coyne are a shoe in ...
12. Cian Holland has been showing well in various partnerships over the last 10 years so is included with partner Dermot Cotter
13. A Northern Ireland pair should be included .. David Greenwood and Rex Anderson would be the
expected choice but Ian Hamilton and Hastings Campbell showed up. Both are multiple capped
Camrose players for Northern Ireland
14. CBAI CEO and Regent President Paul Porteus and Fred Barry made up the 14. To the best of my
knowledge this pair are present as a flexible pair who might be present or not in Weeks 2 and 3 ..
The problem for the organisors is if a pair is asked to play in Week 1 then how can you kick them out for Week 2 and 3 ...so you need some wriggle room.
Well known names who come to mind and are missing are
1. Peter Pigot
2. Tommy Garvey
3. Hugh McGann
4. Rory Timlin
5. Pat Barry
6. Pat McDevitt
7. David Scannell
8, Paul Scannell
9 Enda Glynn
10. John Phelan
11 Diarmuid Reddan
12. Karl Cashen
13. Donal Garvey
14. Pat Quinn
15. Michael McDonagh
16. Eddie Fitzgerald
17. Paul Barrett
18. David Walsh
19. Alan Johnson
20. John Murchan
21. Grier McKenzie
22. Ian Lindsay
23. Bob Pattinson
24. David Greenwood
25. Rex Anderson
26. Aidan Cleary
27. PC Kiely
28 Rory Boland
29 Mark Moran
Names listed at the top as pairs ... in no particular order apart from First 2 pairs
Names 1-22 in no particular order either and maybe I have forgotten some
Next ...The women are going to wonder why no mention of them ...
Hilary Dowling Long
Gilda Pender
Louise Mitchel
Lucy Phelan
Valerie Hand
Aileen O'Keefe
Joan Kenny
Teresa Rigney
Jill Kulchycky
Maureen Pattinson
Brid Kirby
Valerie and Kathleen
The 2 Pats
Patsy Meehan Petra O'Neill
Jeannie Fitzgerald Emer Joyce
Diane Greenwood
Ciara Burns
Mary Finn
Rebecca Brown
Ena Cleary
Maria Whelan
Dolores Gilliland
Barbara Seligman
Grainne Barton
Maria Barry
Miriam McConville
I have not concentrated very hard on the Woman's list but listed out names that
came to mind from recent trials /Lady Milnes so if I left you out don't take offence
For the 29 men listed above probably half them were unavailable for some of the 3 sessions
The other half probably did not make their way into the Final 14 pairs as not enough
dropouts
So no Lady Pairs in the Final 14 ... Well what pair could a lady pair legitimately replace
A measure of Legitimately is you would beat the pair you are replacing 7 out of 10 times
in a direct match. There are lots of capable players in the 29 who the ladies also have to displace
before making consideration for the top 14 pairs.
.................
A thought just struck me ... Maybe a non invited pair could be allowed play but must pay a hefty entrance fee which would be returned on finished above average otherwise it goes into the prizes
pot.
..........
Anyway .........
www.fob.ie has all the boards and results of the 1st Invitational Pairs
So if you did not receive your invitation to play .. consider who would you displace
from the Top 14 competing pairs
You also need to be a more capable player than Eamon Galligan (who would not expect to get anywhere close to playing in this event) However I am stronger than lots of names mentioned on this
blog post ... (Its ok Thomas MacCormac you are not behind me)
Last weekend on BBO ...Declan the Donplayer partnered James Heneghan on BBO while I had a few
Guinness in my local pub. Declan the Donplayer is intrigued by bridge but has never ventured into a bridge club as it would interfere with his betting and drinking time.
Tonight in Malahide we have the inaugural Danny Doona Captains prize as far as I know ..
1H 2H X P
P 3C P P
3D P P
coming back to Adam Mesbur with opposition wanting to declare in 3D after his partner had
made a bid at all vulnerable
Adam knew what to do ... and Carroll went minus 1100 ..
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