THE Northern Ireland Bridge Union's spring congress will be played from May 3rd to 5th in the Causeway Coast Conference Centre, Ballyreagh, Portrush, while the 45th Tramore congress will be in the Grand Hotel and the Christian Brothers' School, from May 3rd to 6th.
The NIBU details are Major intermediate and junior pairs championships will be on Friday night and Saturday afternoon mixed pairs on Saturday night, followed by a "Golden Oldies Disco"; two session Swiss teams finishing at 9.30 p.m. on Sunday; open pairs throughout.
Entries: I.H. Lindsay (Belfast 763113).
Tramore details: Mixed pairs on Friday night; novice pairs on the nights of Friday, Saturday, and Sunday; two session major and intermediate B pairs on Saturday, followed by dance; two session teams on Sunday; two session mixed teams starting at 1.30 p.m. on Monday; open pairs throughout.
Entries: Pauline Corcoran (051-381465).
Some 148 partnerships competed in the open pairs of the EU championships in Ostend Belgium. T Hanlon with Dr H McGann finished 14th, D Garvey with M O Briain 25th, and N Toibin with P Walshe 31st. In the junior pairs J Carroll with T Garvey were 8th out of 34 pairs.
Clonmel congress - Major pairs: 1, F Kelly, D Doheny; 2, T Mulcahy, H Prendergast; 3, N Hickey, Y Yuan. Intermediate prize: M Danaher, S Flaherty. Best Co Tipperary: M Fitzpatrick, P.J. McMahon. Clonmel: M Lynch, J Fogarty. Sessional winners: M Wall, F O'Farrell; B Kirby, M Hanrahan.
Teams: 1, D Dillon, K Hayes, G Cummins, J Higgins; 2, J Kiely, K Flynn, M and T Strappe; 3, P and E Flynn, C and N Foley. Mixed pairs: 1, D Dillon, M Finn; 2, M and A Burke; 3, P and S Breslin. Best married couple: J and B Grant. Clonmel: T Lonergan, A Twomey.
Eastern Region's Irish Bridge Union pairs qualifiers: 1, H Murray, D McEvoy; 2, M Keeshan, P Thornhill. Intermediate B: 1 J Smith, D McElroy; 2, M Woods,
N Gordon.
The 53rd South of Ireland congress will take place in the Lake Hotel, Killarney, from May 11th to 19th. Brochures: Maureen Lyne (064 31057). Special golf competition.
Details: Daisy O'Connor (064 31788).
The 34th Yeats Country congress will be held in the Sligo Park Hotel from May 24th to 26th. Brochures: Madge O'Kennedy (071 60406).
The NIBU intermediate team to play in the annual match against the Contract Bridge Association of Ireland next August is J Nugent, R Blair, P Pyper, R Cochrane, S McIvor, and E Graham.