There was no glory for Ireland at the World championships, which ended on Saturday in Marrakesh, Morocco.
Mark Moran, John Carroll, Adam Mesbur, Tommy Garvey, Tom Hanlon and Hugh McGann, with non-playing captain Gráinne Barton and coach Nick FitzGibbon, had some good results in the Bermuda Bowl tournament and were in second place at one stage.
However, heavy defeats by Poland and USA 1 in later rounds ended their hopes. They finished 13th of the 24 competing teams that had come through the worldwide zonal championships but a long way short of eighth place – the last qualifying spot for the knock-out matches.
European nations took a majority of the honours in the main events. Gold, silver and bronze medals respectively were distributed as follows: Open championship (Bermuda Bowl): Switzerland, Norway, Italy. Women (Venice Cup): Israel, Turkey, China. Seniors (d’Orsi Trophy): Denmark, USA 1, USA 2. Mixed (Wuhan Cup): USA 2, France, Romania.
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Following their disappointment in the Bermuda Bowl event, the Irish contested the transnational tournament in which they qualified, 14th of 72, for the knock-out stages. In the round of 32 they went down to an all-French side in a match in which the lead changed hands a number of times; only two points separated the sides at the finish. A team of Argentinian and Brazilian players took gold, an all-Polish side silver and an English squad that included Michael Byrne, former coach to the Irish women’s team, bronze.
Following a late call-up to compete in the under-21 team event at the world youth championships in Veldhoven, Netherlands, Aileen Armstrong, Eve Connell, Klara Flanagan, David Hoyne and Phedra Kingston, with non-playing captain John Phelan, were selected to represent Ireland. The youngest team in the tournament – 17 years old and still at school – they were outclassed by more experienced rivals. However, Phedra Kingston made her mark in the competition by executing a rare intra-finesse technique to make a slam contract – a feat matched by only one other competitor – for which she was featured in the championship daily bulletin. Denmark, USA and Israel took gold, silver and bronze respectively. Fearghal O’Boyle, Ireland’s leading tournament director and chief director for the World Bridge Federation, officiated.
The death has occurred in Greystones, Co Wicklow of Rose O’Farrell, a member of Ireland’s senior team at the 2004 European championships in Malmø, Sweden. More holiday period results next week.