Cork duo Derek O’Gorman and Cian Holland won the national pairs championship in Ennistymon, Co Clare at the weekend. After the opening period they were in fourth place, well behind the leaders Stephen Barr and Thomas MacCormac, but a big second-session score propelled them into a lead which they never relinquished. Barr and MacCormac, who remained in the first two places throughout the tournament, challenged strongly in the closing stages but failed narrowly to regain the lead. Although O’Gorman has won a number of major tournaments, this was his first Davidson cup success. It was his second national title of the current season, having won the President’s Prize (Duais an Uachtaráin) in September. Holland had previously won the Davidson in 2017. The leading two pairs were chased home by Joan Kenny and Enda Glynn who remained in touch throughout and finished third; Bríd Kemple, Terry Walsh were fourth; Hilary McDonagh, Peter Stewart fifth; and John and Lucy Phelan sixth and best first-session score.
Berna Treacy and Noreen Maloney from Kinsale Bridge Club won the intermediate A championship (Laird cup) and joined an elite group of only three pairs to have won both the intermediate A and the intermediate B pairs championships since intermediate grades were introduced in 1968. They won the latter in 2018. Having kept in touch with the leaders from the start, they went in front at the end of the middle set of deals and held on to win from another Co Cork pair, Anne Fox and Konstantin Rabkin. Dublin’s Deirdre Fallon and Ruth Peare were prominent throughout and finished third; Patricia Eames, Kay Duddy were fourth and best first session; Leona Connery, Michael Gallagher fifth; Edie Brosnan, Teresa Cowman sixth. Second and third sessions: Liz Whelan, Anne Kenneally; Joan Duggan, Shirley Mangan.
A Munster clean sweep of the national events in Ennistymon was foiled when Christine Heath and Kathryn Ryan from Dún Laoghaire bridge club won the intermediate B championship (Civil Service cup) when they overtook the long-time leaders Dara Voyles and Paul Dunne from Trim in the closing stages. Melissa Brady and Mary Maguire (Cavan) had a remarkable 68 per cent score in the final session to jump from a mid-field position to be third. Dermot Houston, John O’Donovan were fourth; Marie Dalton, Mary Higgins fifth and best third session; James Casey, Phedra Kingston sixth. First and third sessions: Catherine McCarthy, Mary Morrin; Robert Wolfe, John Corcoran.