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Bridge Notes: Winners come close to the double at championship events in Templeogue

Pam Harrington and Éamon Martin jnr took pairs title and Lambert Cup on Saturday but were narrowly beaten in Sunday’s Cooper cup team event

Séamus Dowling
Mon Apr 29 2024 - 19:00

Players holding fewer than 40 national master points competed in championship events in Templeogue, Dublin at the weekend.

Pam Harrington and Éamon Martin jnr took the pairs title and Lambert cup on Saturday and came close to achieving a double but were narrowly beaten into second place in the team event (Cooper cup) on Sunday.

Third at halfway in the pairs’ tournament but close to the leaders, the duo had the best second-session score, which allowed them to finish ahead of Angela Murphy and William Enright and Mairéad Clifford and Geraldine Cassidy, who finished second and third respectively. Best intermediate: Niall and Mary Barry. Sixty-six pairs competed.

Alan Auchincloss, Eugene Gath, Konstantin Rabkin and Andrew Cole dominated the team competition. They led at halfway and their momentum allowed them to stay ahead of Harrington, Martin, Bridget Ryan and Joe Hynan, whose strong finish saw them get within a point of the winners.

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However, the key match had occurred earlier when the winners defeated the runners-up in a head-to-head match. Elizabeth and Helen O’Reilly, Bríd Galligan and Una Flynn were third. Best Intermediate: Paul Clinch, Simon Burrell, Austin Leahy and Mark Ryan. Sessions: Trevor Murphy, Maurice Brosnan, Pawel Turczynowicz and Colette Maher; Angela Murphy, William Enright, Paul and Michael Waldron. Fifty-three teams competed.

The novice pairs championship and JJ Murphy Cup, played on Saturday, went to two of Ireland’s under-21 national team: Eve Connell and Klara Flanagan. They won decisively with an impressive score of 71 per cent. Michael and Tim Lennon, who finished second, were unlucky to find the juniors in such devastating form as their almost 67 per cent score would have won most competitions. Lucy Mulcahy and Bernie Nesbit were third and recorded a score of more than 60 per cent. Thirty-three pairs competed.

Sligo and Friends open online competitions under the direction of Fearghal O’Boyle continue from Monday to Friday on the Bridge Base Online (BBO) website, while Diarmuid Reddan’s Diumraid master team tournaments continue to attract strong overseas competitors every Tuesday. Details on fob.ie.

The death has occurred in Carlow of Sheila Gallagher, former president of the Contract Bridge Association of Ireland and the driving force behind the organisation of the game in Carlow for many years.

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