12th March 2020

Following the Taoiseach's announcement today, the Bridge Centre has been closed until March 29th.  As a consequence Knocklyon Bridge Club will be closed until March 29th  The situation will be kept under continual review and it is likely that the closure may last into the month of April.  

Please check this website for further details later

We ask that people who have returned from areas affected by the Covid 19 Virus to please stay away form the Bridge Centre for two weeks from the time they return to Ireland.  This is to safeguard members as far as possible, playing in the Bridge Centre, both morning and evening.  When you come into the Centre before going into the hall, please use the sanitiser to clean your hands.  If possible please bring hand sanitisers with you and use frequently during the course of the evening.  Should it become necessary to close the Club, we will alert you via the website.

23rd May is the date set for the coming of age party for the Bridge Centre.  This promises to be the event of the year with bridge, drinks reception, dinner, dancing and entertainment late into the night.  Each Club was allocated a strictly limited number of tickets and we have just 6 tickets left for sale, on a first come basis.

The tickets are now to hand and I will be collecting money (€25 per ticket) and distributing tickets on Monday next, March 2nd before bridge commences.  Please have your money ready so that there is no time lost giving change!  The few remaining tickets will be sold to the first comers!

The Frank Doolin Trophy Competition will be played over 4 nights, starting on Monday Jan 27^th.  Everyone is included in the competition initially.  On night one, you play with your regular partner.  On subsequent nights, you must play with different partners, from within your section.  If you play with the same person twice you will be automatically eliminated from the competition.  Now might be a good time to organise your partners for the rest of the competition.

The second night of the competition is on Monday 24th February.  Again, this is an ordinary night's competition as well as being part of the Frank Doolin Trophy.  If you wish to be in the Frank Doolin you must play with a different partner to the one you played with on the first night of the competition.  Otherwise you will disqualify yourself from the Frank Doolin!

Predealt boards will be played across the room.  Table money will be €6 each, to help cover the cost for predealts.  The normal Monday night competitions will run simultaneously to the Frank Doolin competition, with prizes awarded as normal.

Points will be awarded, based on percentage scores for the best 5 in each section, with 5 points for first, 4 for second and so on.  These results will be displayed on the website and Noticeboard.

I hope that everyone will enjoy the competition.  Playing with different partners is good practice and I hope that everyone will enjoy the experience.  Frank Doolin results will be displayed on the website and on the Notice Board.

Our Charity Night on December 16th raised €2,212 for the President's charity, Sophia Housing.  This was a great fundraiser and we thank most sincerely our members for their great generosity and also we owe a huge debt of gratitude to all the members who donated prizes for the raffle.  Thank you to one and all.  Pictured is John McEvoy from Sophia receiving the cheque from President Matt Reville

We are trialling a Joker System for the summer months.  If you know that your partner will not be available for play on a particular Monday evening and you would like to play, please volunteer to act as Joker and  put your name, section and mobile number in the Joker Book, which will be left at the top of the room.  Members who wish to play and who don't have a partner for a particular evening are invited to let Committee know by submitting an email note to the website.  Please click on the link Membership.  Fill in your name and in the message area indicate that you need a partner and a date.  You will receive an acknowledgement by return.  This action needs to be taken in good time for us to act, i.e. not a half hour before play!  If it is possible to match you up with a Joker you will be notified by email or mobile.  This system will only work with the full co-operation of members, in entering their names to volunteer as Joker and in using the email system to contact the website.

Members, who offer their services and play as Joker, will have a "free" game that evening, i.e. they will not be charged table money.  If the system works during the summer months we shall continue it into the new year commencing in September.

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  Donnelly Cup Presentation
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  OBoyle Cup Presentation
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  Stephenson Cup Presentation

The First major competition of the year took place over two weeks in October.  Every grade in the club took part.  Prizes were awarded in every category.  I wish to particularly commend our Beginners who participated in large numbers in the O'Boyle Cup.  They acquitted themselves very well.  Already we can discern the emergence of a few future Master players in that group.  Congratulations to all the winners and our thanks too to Brian Lalor and Bernard Higgins, our Tournament Directors.

Winners

Stephenson Cup 2019: Ailbhe Mealy & Ann O'Connell

Donnelly Cup 2019:  Rosaleen Carvill & Nuala Nally

O'Boyle Cup:  Deirdre Murray & Joe O'Rourke

Knocklyon Bridge Club was founded in 1977.  In 2000 we moved into the newly purpose-built TCCBC.  Many of our founding members still play in our Club.

We run 3 major competitions throughout the year.  These are 2-week events and restricted to paid up members of Knocklyon Bridge Club.

Knocklyon Bridge Club is affiliated to the CBAI