Marcin Rudzinski, Michelle Moloney, Kael De Raeymaeker, Anna Onishuk, Claudiu Dima and Sandra Newell won the four-team, round-robin final of the mixed trials in Templeogue, Dublin, at the weekend and will represent Ireland at the European Championships in Herning, Denmark, in June and also at the World Bridge Games in Buenos Aires, Argentina in October. A non-playing captain will be appointed.
The contest was close with the result in doubt right to the end, the winners holding off a strong challenge from Terry Walsh, Bríd Kemple, Peter Stewart and Aoife MacHale, who finished only four points behind in second place.
Senior trials begin today (Tuesday) at La Mon hotel, Belfast, and will continue until Thursday, following which Ireland’s selections for 2024 European and World events will be complete – open, women’s and mixed teams have already been selected.
Two Dublin teams headed the field at the end of the all-Ireland intercounty team championship in Cavan despite the close attention of Donegal, Down and Dublin South county sides.
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Burke trophy: Result: 1. Dublin A: (Paul Delaney, Tomás Roche, Martin Brady, David Dunne); 2. Dublin B: (Teresa Rigney, BJ O’Brien, Luca Crone, Matthew O’Farrell); 3. Donegal (Denis Ellis, Connell McLoone; Sandra and John McGinley; 4. Down (Anne Fitzpatrick, Harold Curran, Mary Kelly-Rogers, Francis Gibbons); 5. Dublin South (Noreen Pender, Kathleen Vaughan, Maria Whelan, Dolores Gilliland); 6. Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown (Willy Clingan, Bridget Sheehy, Eoin and Mary Hodkinson).
In the intermediate championship Meath prevented a Dublin double when finally clinching victory in the closing rounds having been in contention throughout.
O’Connor trophy: 1. Meath (Dara Voyles, Nicola O’Dowd, Sandra Peden, Linda Walsh); 2. Dublin A: (Paul Clinch, Vicky Pigot, Jeremy James, Mia Delaney); 3. Cavan (Frances Daly, Simon John Ridley, Kathleen Gibbons, Mary Mulvey); 4. Dublin B: (Ian Kingston, Maura King, John Lysaght, Rhona Shiel).
Almost 8,800 players in 245 centres throughout the country took part in the national simultaneous pairs competitions last week. Leading scores were consistently high every evening. Subject to some late results still to be returned the leading scores, evening by evening, were as follows: Monday: Anne McGlynn and Bernadette McDermott (Killenard, Co Laois) 74.93 per cent; Tuesday: Carolyn Duggan and Bene O’Callaghan (Kinsale) 73.75; Wednesday: Maureen and Bob Pattinson (Thomond) 73.67; Thursday; Helene Rafferty and Cathleen O’Connor (Ennistymon) 70.42; Friday: Mike Stuart and Jeanette Gribben (The Wells, Dublin) 74.60.
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