BBO Etiquette

Welcome to DLGC Bridge Club, a fully affiliated Bridge Club with CBAI since 2018. Bridge is played every Friday evening in the Kingstown Room at 7.30.  Monday bridge is played in the The Kingstown Room at 10 am. We ask players to arrive 15 minutes beforehand because the competition cannot be set up on the computer until the Tournament Director knows how many tables are playing. Therefore, it is best for players to arrive and sit down at a table. Decide between the players who will be north/south and who will be east/west. 

We are a sociable, friendly club with over 100 members at all levels of ability from beginners and novices to master players. Once a month we have dinner before bridge which adds to the sociability of the club.   Table money is 5 euros on Friday nights and 2 euros on Monday mornings. 

We no longer have standbys instead players use the WhatsApp group to find a partner. The WhatsApp group is called Bridge-DLGC 24/25 Members group. If you are a bridge member and your name is not in the WhatsApp group but you would like to be included please contact a member of the committee. 

Membership: DLGC is a social club in Dun Laoghaire Golf Club (DLGC). Only members of  DLGC (Full, 6 day, 5 day, Pavilion) can become a member of DLGC Bridge Club provided they pay their annual membership. We welcome new members. The bridge year begins in September and ends in April. The annual subscription of €35 is due in October which includes €12.50 membership of Contract Bridge Association Ireland. Since Covid, the annual subscription is deducted from members' competition purses. 

Governance: The bridge section of DLGC is a social club, which is bound by the Constitution of DLGC and the Bylaws for the Bridge Club. 

GDPR and Data Protection – Like other organisations DLGC Bridge Club is subject to Irish data protection legislation. Data is only kept for the purpose for which it is required, e.g. for DLGC Bridge Club only. Member’s contact details are kept on file in a password protected computer and sent to CBAI for membership (affiliation) purpose. Member’s data is not shared with any other external parties. Any member can opt out of receiving emails or can remove their names from the WhatsApp Group. https://www.dataprotection.ie/en/organisations/resources-organisations/self-assessment-checklist Each member fills out a separate GDPR consent form. 

Guests: Guests can play up to a maximum of 4 times a year in non-major competitions. 

Majors: To be eligible to win the President’s Prize, a member must have played on at least 3 club nights prior to that competition during the current year. Players who do not fulfil this condition may play in the competition but will not be eligible to win that competition’s prize. 

Player of the year

The ‘Player of the Year’ will be the member with the highest average percentage out of their 12 best competitions to include  a minimum of 8 different partners. Prizes will be awarded to the best overall player, and to the best in each category (A, B (intermediate) and N (novice)) as defined by CBAI.

I’m delighted to serve as your President for the coming year. Sincere thanks to David Whitaker for choosing me. We have a strong committee that has worked hard at establishing a Monday morning bridge session in addition to the Friday evening game.

I look forward to a fun year with lots of events planned including monthly dinners, two ‘Team of 4 events’, turkey competitions, an away weekend, the Massey League, the Rose Bowl, Simultaneous Pairs and of course our friendly weekly bridge games.

I want to thank all our TDs in advance and encourage all our members to participate in the Monday morning or Friday evening bridge sessions. New members are always welcome.

My vision is to grow the bridge club while also promoting social bridge. Let’s enjoy our bridge!! ♠ ♥ ♣ ♦ 

We're happy to serve you for the coming year.  We have plenty of fun events planned, Team of 4, Kilkenny Weekend Away (end February 2026), Charity Event, Monthly Suppers, Centenary Cup, President's Prize and Covid 19 Trophy. President Helen Hearnden, Vice President Deirdre Waters, Treasurer Michael Cunningham, Secretary Anna-Maria Bailey, Ex-officio David Whitaker, Deirdre Baneham, Martina Noonan and Tim Cassidy.

The Centenary Cup competition was a great success on Friday 20th November. We had an unusual result with three pairs tying for first place. Congratulations to Margot Wall and Katherine Verso, Alison Polley and Evelyn Cahill and Victor Ryan and Piers Segrave-Daly.

DLGC Bridge Club AGM 

 DLGC Bridge Club AGM Update

The recent AGM was a great success, with a fantastic turnout.  Outgoing President David Whitaker expressed gratitude to Helen Hearnden and the committee for their dedicated efforts over the past year.   54 members participated in a 4 person Team Event after the AGM.  

Helen Hearnden, the new President, is excited to take on the role of President, aiming to uphold the high standards set by her predecessors.  

Congratulations to Our Prize Winners:

Player of the Year: Victor Ryan

Monday Player of the Year: Chris Davenport

‘B’ Category Player: Owen Fox (RIP)

‘A’ Category Player: (joint) Deirdre Baneham, David Whitaker

Novice Player of the Year: Niamh McCarthy

Most Partners: Deirdre Waters

New Leadership:

President: Helen Hearnden

Vice-President: Deirdre Waters

Secretary: Anna-Maria Bailey

Treasurer: Michael Cunningham

Ex Officio: David Whitaker

Committee Members: Deirdre Baneham, Tim Cassidy and Martina Noonan.

Upcoming Events November:

Massey League: Began on 2nd November, coordinated by Teresa Whitaker

IBU Sims competition Friday 7th November

Monthly Bridge Dinner 6pm 14th November

Centenary Cup 21st November

Turkey Competitions Monday 24th and Friday 28th November

Save the Date:

Away Weekend: February 27th-1st March, Kilkenny River Court Hotel.

We warmly invite all DLGC members interested in joining the Bridge Club to reach out at dlgcbridge@gmail.com.

Looking forward to a fantastic season ahead!

♠ ♥ ♦ ♣ The Rose Bowl took place at Grange Golf Club on Sunday, 23rd February 2025. Eight clubs participated: Elm Park GC BC, Grange GC BC, Rathfarnham GC BC, Edmondstown GC BC, Foxrock GC BC, Milltown GC BC, Castle GC BC, and DLGC BC, with each club fielding two teams of four players. DLGC BC was represented by Moya Murpy & Victor Ryan, Pam Cooper & Vera McCague, Teresa & Dave Whitaker and Maeve & Tim Cassidy.

The Grange GC BC were incredibly welcoming, and it turned out to be a wonderful social evening. Unfortunately, the results weren't in our favor, and the Rose Bowl was claimed by Grange GC BC.♠ ♥ ♦ ♣ 

🏆 May 25th – The Grand Finale in Greystones

The final round had it all: drama, determination, and sandwiches. With the action starting at 5pm and a light supper at 8:30 (bridge is a marathon, not a sprint), our teams gave it their all in the ultimate showdown.

The Results? Drumroll, please…

• 🥇 Inter A Team – 1st Place Overall Champions!
• 🥈 Inter B Team – A razor-close 2nd place finish!

A huge round of applause to all our fabulous players, and special thanks to the Team Managers – your calm under pressure and snack logistics were unparalleled.

🎉 Representing DLGC in the Final Round:

• Inter A Team: Victor Ryan (Captain), Katharine Verso, Moya Murphy, Margot Wall, Margaret Leonard & David Whitaker
• Inter B Teams: Maeve & Tim Cassidy, Anne-Marie MacGoris, Owen Fox, Teresa Whitaker, Mary Cryan, Helen Hearnden & Ruth Shiel

🎓 Final Thoughts (and a Few Thank Yous)

To all our participants: thank you for your dedication, patience, and for not flipping the table during a bad hand. You’ve all turned this season into a wonderful learning experience – filled with laughter, a few tense stares, and the occasional questionable bid.

We’ll see you all back at the bridge table in September, under the presidency of Helen Hearnden. Until then, have a fabulous summer, enjoy some well-earned rest, and remember: life’s too short to pass on a good hand!

🌷 March 30th – Mothering Sunday Madness (With Tricks & Tips!)

On this sacred day of flowers and forgotten bookings at fancy restaurants, our Inter B teams headed to Dun Laoghaire Bridge Club to face "the usual suspects". With Teresa’s top tips in their back pockets, our players were primed: no unnecessary doubles, no risky tricks, and no mercy.

Armed with Blackwood, Gerber, and nerves of steel, our Inter B teams left the table smiling and satisfied. The TW Team nabbed 2nd place, and the EOS Team proudly finished 7th.

🃏 Our March Warriors: Teresa Whitaker, Anne Marie MacGoris, Maeve & Tim Cassidy, Helen Hearnden, Noelle O’Sullivan, Ruth Shiel & Martina Noonan.

On Sunday 2nd February we had more success in the Massey League, Inter B League, Division 2, with both of our teams securing victories in all their matches against strong opponents, including Blackrock College, St. Crispin's, Foxrock GC and The Well.

Congratulations to Anne-Marie MacGoris, Teresa Whitaker, and Tim and Maeve Cassidy - You have made us proud!

On behalf of the DLGC Bridge Club, we extend our sincere thanks to all participants for their involvement.

We are pleased to announce that Massey Brothers are once again sponsoring the Massey Bros League 2024/25, an inter-club bridge competition featuring 34 teams. The competition takes place over several rounds at four different venues. The Massey Bros League is off to a strong start, and the teams from the DLGC Bridge Club are actively participating across various divisions under the leadership and guidance of Ruth Shiel.

The DLGC Bridge Club has entered three teams, participating in the following divisions:

• Inter B Division 1: Helen Hearnden, Deirdre Waters, Marion and Padraig Rushe

• Inter B Division 2: Maeve and Tim Cassidy, Anne Marie MacGoris and Teresa Whitaker

• Inter A Division 1: Victor Ryan, Margot Wall, Katharine Verso, and Moya Murphy

The first two rounds, consisting of two 12-board matches, were held at the Mount Merrion Parish Community Centre on Sunday, November 3rd. Our teams performed admirably.

The next round of the competition will take place on February 2, 2025.On behalf of the DLGC Bridge Club, we extend our sincere thanks to all participants for their involvement.

On Friday, 21st February 2025, DLGC Bridge Club hosted our Annual Charity Night, with this year's chosen charity being The Down Syndrome Centre, selected by our esteemed President, Dave. We were thrilled to welcome 31 tables, including 3 tables in our Novice Section, for a total of 124 players, all under the careful supervision of our Tournament Director, John Royds.

A heartfelt thank you goes out to our members who baked delicious homemade treats for the occasion. Congratulations to our Winners, Bernie O'Sullivan and Marion Horgan, as well as our Novice Section Winners, Ann Marie Quinn and Noel Mannion. Special congratulations to Bernie O'Sullivan for a double celebration—also taking home the 1st prize in our raffle!

We are proud to announce that a generous total of €5,000 was raised, and the cheque was presented to Rhona from The Down Syndrome Centre in front of our members on Friday, 28th February 2025. A huge thank you to our members and their guests for their extraordinary generosity!

President Dave thanked 'his committee' for their contribution to a majority successful fund raising night!

Our first major event, The Piers Segrave-Daly Team of Four Trophy, took place in the Kingston Room on Friday, January 31, 2025. Players arrived with their respective partners before being drawn into their teams. With a full house of 48 participants, John Royds ran a smooth and enjoyable competition.

Congratulations to our joint runners-up: Anne-Marie MacGoris, Peg O’Mahony, David & Teresa Whitaker and Angela O’Sullivan, Jane Murphy, Emer O’Sullivan, Katharine Verso.

An even bigger congratulations to our overall winners, who achieved an impressive score of 78 VPs: Pam Cooper, Vera McCague, Catherine O’Sullivan, and Noelle O’Sullivan!

DLGC Bridge Away Weekend

8th – 10th March 2024

The Hodson Bay Hotel, Athlone

The DLGC Bridge Club embarked on an unforgettable away trip to the scenic Hodson Bay Hotel in Athlone last weekend. The itinerary was packed with activities catering to various interests of the members.

The adventure began with Cathal's walking group venturing to Yew Point, exploring the natural beauty of the surroundings. Meanwhile, President Ruth led the golfing enthusiasts to Athlone GC for a day on the greens.  Back at the hotel later in the evening, 52 bridge players gathered under the expert guidance of TD Larry, engaging in riveting games across the tables. On Saturday morning, members indulged in retail therapy and leisure activities before returning for more intense bridge sessions. A unique experience awaited Monday morning bridge players with 'a draw for partners', adding a fresh twist to the games.

As excitement brewed over the Ireland/England rugby match, members gathered to cheer on their teams while enjoying refreshments. The evening was highlighted by a sumptuous 3-course dinner followed by lively entertainment, courtesy of Margaret, Teresa, Owen, Annette and Margaret, who provided a memorable musical soiree.  Sunday morning saw a smaller group staying behind to squeeze in a few more bridge boards before biding farewell.  With gratitude to TD Larry, the dedicated staff of Hodson Bay Hotel, and the enthusiastic participation of all members, the weekend concluded on a high note, leaving everyone refreshed and ready to celebrate Mothering Sunday.

In conclusion, the DLGC Bridge Club's trip to the Hodson Bay Hotel was a resounding success, filled with camaraderie, competition, and unforgettable memories.

The inaugural Piers Segrave-Daly Team of 4 event was very well attended on Friday 10th November with 52 (13 team) players attending. It was an exciting fun event because we had a draw for partners. No dream teams were allowed! The event ran smoothly with John Royds as TD. There was a great buzz in the function room.  President Ruth launched the event, praising Piers for his enormous contribution to the bridge club, welcoming all members and said she was particularly happy to see players from Monday mornings.

Piers presented the perpetual trophy which will be engraved with the winners' names.  The worthy winners were: 

1st Catherine and Noelle O'Sullivan & Annemarie MacGoris & Bernie McCormick

2nd Bernadette and Philip Heneghen & Anne O'Reilly & Ida Murphy

3rd Victor Ryan and Margot Wall & Jim and Maureen Murphy

Covid -19 was a deadly pandemic that swept across the world in March 2020. The members of Dunlaoghairegolf Bridge Club are very grateful to Declan Doyle who brought the bridge club online during President Marie Daly's year. Declan helped members to access the online club and also ran an inter club competition during this period. He set up a WhatsApp group which created solidarity among players and most of all it was great fun. Online bridge was a life saver during the pandemic. Declan is a master player and also allowed open access to his Dargle club on Sunday nights. Declan's hard work was acknowledged at the AGM in September 2021, where he was given a gift and also at the AGM in September 2022 and 2023. 

We also remember those who died during the pandemic such as Merryn Keogh (RIP)and Joan Walsh (RIP) and relatives and friends of members. Teresa Whitaker donated a trophy to honor the memory of those who died during the pandemic. This prize will be considered a major and will be awarded to the Monday morning players.