BRIDGE - DLGC CLUB ON FRIDAY EVENINGS FROM 25th SEPTEMBER TO APRIL

The Bridge year for 2020/2021 commenced on 25th September. Due to  Covid-19 government restrictions  we cannot play normal face-to-face bridge,  fortunately we can play bridge online using https://www.bridgebase.com. DLGC Bridge Club meets online on Friday evenings with Declan Doyle as tournament director.  This will continue until we are able to play bridge in DLGC again. We will keep you updated and as soon as it is safe to do so, we will resume normal bridge.

Bridge starts at 7.30.

Please ensure that you register two hours beforehand and that you are still on BBO at 7.15 p.m.

Any members of DLGC who would like to join us for Friday evening online bridge contact the committee:  dlgcbridge@gmail.com. New members welcome!

Under the stewardship of President Moya Murphy (2018), DLGC Bridge Club became affiliated to Contract Bridge Association of Ireland (CBAI) Eastern Region in 2018 (http://cbai.ie). 

Benefits of Affiliation: 

• Qualified bridge teachers
• CBAI provides Tournament Directors (TDs) for major competitions
• Players are ranked in a similar handicap system to golf, for example, novices, intermediates etc., 
• Affiliate clubs can play in Massey Bros. League
• Great value €12.50 per year (10 euros if paid before end of November)
• Providers of bridge lessons
• Opportunities to play in Bridge Congress'

Dear Bridge Players,

Unfortunately President Marion's year was cut short by the pandemic. We were deprived of our last few weeks of bridge playing. However, the most important thing is that our members are safe and are socially isolating. We are extremely grateful to Declan Doyle for running interclub leagues and acting as Tournament Director every Friday night. 

We were not able to have an AGM at the end of the year (April 2020), so instead we did a 'hand over' to a new committee, and this will be ratified as soon as the virus passes and the government allows us to hold face to face meetings again. We have to wait and see when restrictions for meetings will be lifted and we can resume normal bridge competitions again. 

I feel very privileged to be your president for the coming year (2020-2021). Bridge has been played in DLGC for over 100 years and continues to give great pleasure to people. We have players of all abilities from novices to master players. We are also competitive. In recent years, we won the Rose Bowl (an inter club competition) and have competed in the Massey League and other interclub competitions. We continue to promote the game of bridge for novices.

It takes many people to run a bridge club. I would like to thank my new committee, Tournament Directors, Scorers, for all their support in ensuring the competitions run smoothly. I would also like to thank past President Marion Fox, Ruth Shiel and Pam Cooper for organising the Massey Brothers League and Moya Murphy for liaising with CBAI. Thanks to all participants and wishing you good health and safety from Covid-19. We're hoping that neither you or your loved ones will be affected.  ♥ ♦ ♣ ♠ 

Sincere thanks to Declan Doyle for organising and running DLGC BC Friday evening bridge on Bridge Base Online.  We count ourselves blessed to have him in our club. Luckily, Declan was already a qualified bridge teacher and Tournament Director. He set up a Whats Group called DLGC Bridge which is keeping us all entertained and connected in these grey days of the pandemic. 

Declan has run a number of leagues, Initially, he established a Round Robin competition last summer which was a great success and generated lots of excitement. He then established and ran an  Interclub Bridge League with an A and B section. There were 9 teams in the A section and 18 in the B section. This B Section of the league was won by Milltown while the A Section was won by Blackrock Bridge Club with DLGC BC coming second.

The Rose Bowl competition was established as a sociable competition between golf club bridge clubs in 1991. Seven clubs participate: Elm Park, Castle, DLGC BC, Edmonstown, Grange, Milltown and Rathfarnham. The competition was hosted by Rathfarnham on Sunday 14th March. DLGC BC was represented by:  

• Piers Segrave Daly & Owen Fox
• Martina Lee & Margaret Leonard
• Catherine O'Sullivan & Margot Wall
• Katharine Verso & Declan Doyle

Castle won this year. DLGC will be hosting it next year. Congratulations to all our players who did us proud. 

Declan is now hosting another interclub competition with an A and B section.  

The CBAI National Pairs Finals were played on the 20th and 21st March. Congratulations to the prize winners! Declan Doyle and Katharine Verso (1st) and Teresa and David Whitaker (2nd). 

CBAI – Virtual Laird Cup – National Intermediate ‘A’ Pairs Championship 22 March 2021. 1^st Katharine Verso and Declan Doyle (https://www.fob.ie/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/CBAI-Laird-2021-Overall-Result-1.pdf).

CBAI – Civil Service Cup - National Inter ‘B’ Pairs Championship 22 March 2021. 2^ndTeresa and David Whitaker. (https://www.fob.ie/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/CBAI-Civil-Service-2021-Overall-Result-2.pdf)

The Centenary Cup was played on Friday 9th April. There was a great turn out for the competion with 70 people participating. 

The Centenary Cup was won by Tim and Maeve Cassidy

1^st Tim and Maeve Cassidy

2^nd Martina Lee and Margaret Leonard

3rd Evelyn Cahill and Pauline O’Neill

4th Piers Segrave Daly and Sue Caslin

5th Margot Wall and Katharine Verso

5^th Ruth Sheil and Pam Cooper

Novice Prize: Mary Cryan and Owen Murphy

♠ ♥ ♦ ♣ 

Sincere thanks to all those who participated in last Friday night’s charity event. It was a wonderful success,  due in part to you inviting your friends, and the fact that other bridge clubs circulated the notice.

We owe a debt of gratitude to Declan for his forbearance in managing to get everyone online. In total, 170 players participated. There were 38 tables in the open section and 4 and a half tables in the novice section. Congratulations to all the winners. To see the list go to the results section of: https://www.bridgewebs.com/dunlaoghairegolf/

The designated charity was HEADWAY which is the leading provider of community based rehabilitation for those dealing with an acquired brain injury caused by trauma, stroke or infection. It empowers people to live life to their full potential.  To date we have received over 2,500 euros and the contribution from BBO will be added to this. The page will be left open until 12^th March. https://www.idonate.ie/DLGCBridgeCharityNight

♠ ♥ ♦ ♣ 

President’s Prize - 29 January 2021

Congratulations to the prize-winners and to all 68 players who participated and made the President’s Prize so much fun. The winners will receive a framed copy of the DLGC Bridge WhatsApp’s iconic picture of the swan on the 8^th  hole on the middle nine, by David Whitaker. It reminds us of all we’re missing during the pandemic, but it also shows that  we have created a virtual community, where you can be sure of some good Irish ‘craic’ and  that friendship and community can transcend physical boundaries.

 Sincere thanks to Declan Doyle for acting as Tournament Director.

1^st Prize Martina Lee and Margaret Leonard

2^nd Noelle O’Sullivan and Ruth Shiel

3^rd Theresa Murphy and Deirdre Baneham

4^th Ellie Madden and Sue Segrave Daly

5^th Ken and Mary Halpenny

6^th Katherine Verso and Declan Doyle

Novice prize: Sue Caslin and Mary Cryan

 ♠ ♥ ♦ ♣ 

President Marie & Committee

♠ ♥ ♦ ♣ 

Player of the Year 2019/20

Congratulations to Piers Segrave-Daly for winning Player of the Year (2019-2020). Unfortunately, we were not able to have an AGM this year, but as soon as it is safe to do so, we will have a prize giving night in Dun Laoghaire Bridge Club in the Kingston room, where Piers will be presented with the Player of the year cup.