The Irish national team had a satisfactory preparation for the European championships, which will begin in Funchal, Madeira, next Sunday, when they reached the last four in the World Bridge Tour event in Lillehammer, Norway, which ended on Friday.
Having led the qualifiers, the team of Nick FitzGibbon, Adam Mesbur, Tom Hanlon, Hugh McGann, John Carroll and Mark Moran, with non-playing captain Gráinne Barton, were beaten by a Norwegian team in the semi-final.
Ireland will be represented in the women’s championship in Funchal by Teresa Rigney, Diane Greenwood, Rebecca O’Keeffe-Brown, Gilda Pender, Joan Kenny, Jeannie Fitzgerald and NPC Paul Porteous.
The Irish senior squad will be BJ O’Brien, Ranald Milne, Padraig and Micheál Ó Briain, Terry Walsh, Peter Goodman and NPC Derek O’Gorman while Carol Ann Cummins, John Noonan, Sandra Newell, Michael McAuliffe, Louise Mitchell, David Walsh with NPC Diarmuid Reddan will contest the mixed championship.
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In addition to the team events, there will be pairs’ championships for women and senior players. Mary Kelly-Rogers, Anne Fitzpatrick; Lucy Phelan, Louise Mitchell and Anne O’Connell, Dolores Gilliland will compete in the women’s event while Donal Garvey and Pat Quinn will contest the senior pairs competition. Fearghal O’Boyle, Ireland’s leading tournament director and European Bridge League chief director, will head the team of referees.
Russia and Belarus were barred from competing in Funchal. Ukraine was granted free entry but will field a team in the open championship only.
The Contract Bridge Association of Ireland has published the following dates for trials to select teams to contest the 2023 home-international championships: Pre-qualifiers: September 24th and 25th, closing date for entries August 12th. Open championship: October 29th to 31st, closing date September 16th. Women: November 11th to 13th, closing date September 30th. Seniors: February 3rd to 5th, closing date December 16th.
Competitions in Sligo’s Yeats Country congress, which will begin on Friday, will be single-session, evening events, played on the BBO website. The programme is as follows: Main competitions: Friday: Gala, Mixed and Fast Friday pairs. Saturday: Congress, area master and intermediate A pairs. Sunday: Congress and intermediate teams and Gala open pairs. In addition separate intermediate B and novice pairs events will be held each evening as well as the traditional open pairs’ competitions. Proceeds from the congress will be distributed between charities in Sligo, Mayo and Limerick. For entry details, see fob.ie.