Cross-channel competitors challenged strongly for the main honours at Galway congress at the weekend.
In the congress pairs Diarmuid Reddan and Welsh international, Philip Kurbalija were locked in battle with English players Tim Gauld and Dan McIntosh from the start, the latter pair leading at half-way but only by a fraction of a percentage point. The same two pairs dominated the second session but Reddan and Kurbalija got the better of the tussle to win. Joan Kenny and Mary Trench were third, Michael MacDonagh and Peter Goodman fourth. Junior players, Stephen Barr and John Connolly were best area masters while session prizes went to Billy Cunniffe, Michael Waldron and Tony and Petra O’Neill.
Goodman and Ciaran Coyne took the Swiss pairs event from Richard Elvin and BJ O’Brien with Barr and Connolly again in the honours taking third place. Gordon Lessells and Danny Liddy were fourth.
Other Galway results: Mixed pairs: 1. Kirsty Goodman, Andy Bonnes; 2. Kay Cussen, Denis Sheehan; 3. Siobhán Part, Diarmuid Reddan.
Intermediate pairs: 1. Carmel Musitano, Pat Ward; 2. Anne Lynam, Marie Lynch; 3. Noel Bradford, John Lyons; 4. Lola and Don O’Donovan; best intermediate B: Anne-Marie Keaney, Dave Flanagan; sessions: Margaret Sage, Frank Gillan; Mary Moriarty, Pat Fitzgerald.
Novice pairs: 1. Frances McCarthy, Carmel Walsh; 2. Ann Finegan, Mary Kemple; 3. Paddy and Stephen Clancy.
The home-international championship for the Camrose trophy will be decided at City North hotel, Gormanstown, Co Meath, next Friday to Sunday when the final rounds, postponed due to weather conditions in March will be played. Ireland will be represented by the team that captured the trophy last year: Tom Hanlon, Hugh McGann, John Carroll, Rory Boland and Mark Moran with non-playing captain Gráinne Barton although Tommy Garvey is not available. The Northern Ireland team is Rex Anderson, David Greenwood, Ian Hamilton, Sam Hall, Paul Tranmer, Wayne Somerville and NPC John Ferguson. The Contract Bridge Association of Ireland, as host governing body will be represented by Ciaran Coyne, Peter Goodman, Enda Glynn, David Walsh, Gay Keaveney and Pat McDevitt with NPC Diarmuid Reddan. England is the half-way leader from CBAI with Ireland third.
The Irish Bridge Union’s all-Ireland pairs championships for the Moylan Cup will be played in Malahide on Saturday and Sunday. Participants have qualified through major events, north and south.
The clash with the home-international championship in Gormanstown will result in the absence of some leading players.