Regional qualifiers for the national open, intermediate A and intermediate B pairs championship finals which will be contested on April 1st and 2nd in Ennistymon, Co Clare, were held over the weekend. The leading two pairs in each grade will advance to the 40-pair finals; the balance of places will be allocated according to participating numbers in the qualifying competitions.
Results: Dublin South region: Open: (Quin cup): 1. Bríd Kemple, Terry Walsh; 2. Dolores Gilliland, LizAnn Doyle. Intermediate A (Joe Moran cup): 1. Aindrias O Caoimh, Donal O’Keeffe; 2. Deirdre Fallon, Ruth Peare. Intermediate B (Duffy cup): 1. Sam and Michael Connolly, 2. Maura King, Ian Kingston. Dublin North: Open: 1. Rosemary O’Brien, Paul McDermott; 2. Fran Ronan, Pat Cassidy. Intermediate: 1. Anthony McMackin, Noel Hughes; 2. Dan O’Mahony Gráinne Courtney. Mid Leinster: Open: 1. Liam Gaynor, David Redmond; 2. Owen Cummins, Michael Fitzgerald. Intermediate: 1. Dara Voyles, Paul Dunne; 2. Frances Daly, Maura Colgan. Eastern: Open (Clery cup): 1. Michelle Moloney, Sandra Newell; 2. Carol-Ann Cummins, John Noonan. Intermediate A: 1. Simon Burrell, Martina Lee; 2. Tie: Collette Maher, Emer Roberts; Michael Kenny, Carol Vam Beck. Intermediate B: 1. Annette Kelly, Ann Lynn; 2. Jean Hennebry, Cora Ryan. North Munster: 1. Maureen and Bob Pattinson; 2. Tie: John and Kelan O’Connor; Nicky Fitzgibbon, Trish Stack. Intermediate: 1. Margaret Cooney, Marie Kennedy; 2. Brigid Hehir, Kathleen Collins. Northern: 1. Maeve Costelloe, Declan Gallagher; 2. Paddi Doran, Betty O’Loughlin. Western: 1. Joan Kenny, Enda Glynn; 2. Colette Mulhern, May O’Sullivan.
The Northern Ireland pairs championship, which was also played at the weekend, was won by Ken Hammond, Eric Lesage, with Zrinka Kokot, Patrick McDaid second, and Ian Hamilton, Hastings Campbell third.
Tom Hanlon (Ireland), Leslie Amoils (Canada), Marty Fleisher, Chip Martel (USA), Cedric Lorenzini and Thomas Bessis (France) reached the final of the Reisinger board-a-match team tournament which ended on Sunday in Phoenixm Arizona. The winners were the current national Swiss side led by Pierre Zimmerman.
Irish junior bridge will benefit from the proceeds of the Celtic nations simultaneous pairs competitions which are taking place this week.
The national master pairs championship will be contested in Templeogue, Dublin, on Saturday and Sunday next starting at 1.30pm on Saturday. Entries via cbai.ie.
Closing date for entries to the trials to select a team to represent Ireland in the 2023 seniors home-international championship (Teltscher Trophy) is December 16th, 2022.