Bridge notes: Squad for women’s internationals selected

Rebecca Brown and Gilda Pender were convincing winners of the women’s trials in Templeogue at the weekend when they won all of their matches.

Teresa Rigney, Joan Kenny; Maria Whelan, Marian Croke; Jean Kelly and Betty Cotter filled the next three places and will complete the squad from which Ireland’s team to contest the 2020 home-international championship will be selected.

Jeannie Fitzgerald and Siobhán Part lost to the winners in the final round and finished a mere one-tenth of a victory point back in fifth place while Ann O’Connell and Valerie Burke-Moran who were in contention throughout had a poor last match to drop to sixth.

Ian Hamilton recorded a double at the Northern Ireland Bridge Union congress in Derry. With Ian Lindsay he won the main pairs event from John Murchan and Ruth Connolly with Tom McKeever and Sandie Millership third, then went on to take the team title with Sam Hall and John and Hilary Ferguson. Anne Fitzpatrick, Harold Curran, Murchan and Connolly were second, David Stevenson, Liz Cummins, Robin Burns and Lindsay third.

New Cairn homes down by the river in Maynooth from €370k

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Ireland’s Rugby World Cup squad as you’ve never seen them before

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Heartening news for those aiming to minimise cardiac risk

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Other results from Derry: Mixed pairs: 1 Norma Irwin, David Leeman; 2 Maeve Costello, Declan Gallagher; 3 Anne Gallagher, John Bilberg. Intermediate A: 1 Helen Lowe, Robert Caves; 2 Marion Gallagher, Phyllis Murphy; 3 Mary Higgins, Bernie O’Kane. Intermediate B: Karen Prince, Wendy Buddin.

Ireland’s seniors beat New Zealand in the world championships in Wuhan, China, but lost to Canada, China Hong Kong, India and France.

Leaders: Open championship: 1 Sweden; 2 England; Women: 1 China; 2 England. Mixed: 1 England; 2 USA. Seniors: 1 USA; 2 India. The leading eight at the end of the round robins will contest the knock-out stages. The championships will continue until September 28th.

Trials to select Ireland’s team to contest the 2020 open home-international championship for the Camrose Trophy will be held from October 25th-28th in Dublin. The leading four teams will contest a second weekend of competition in Galway from November 1st-3rd.

Drogheda congress will take place from October 4th-6th at the Westcourt Hotel and at the ABDC bridge centre.

The first national championship of the season, the pairs competition for Duais an Uachtaráin will be played at Westmanstown, Dublin, on Saturday and Sunday next starting at 1.30pm on the Saturday.

Entries accepted until Thursday at competitions@cbai.ie