Ballina Bridge Congress this weeekend from the 7th - 9th July

Great National Hotel Ballina

All Welcome

Huge congrats to all the players of The North West Region who took part in the Donegal Congress and represented the region so well. 

Congrats to Marian Newman and Judith Holme on winning the Intermediate B's.

Congrats also to Ray Nally and Jerome Tarpey on winning the Intermediate A's. Also to Eilish and Eugene Gallagher on coming 2nd in the A's and also Flor Higgins and Frances Burke on coming 3rd.

Also well done to Mary and John Bourke on coming 2nd in the Intermediate Teams.

Also a Huge congrats to  Carmel Gallinagh & Marian Skelly Grace Corcoran & Brid Armstrong for winning a Prize in the Inter Teams.

Well done also to Ita Langan & Carmel Costello who won a prize in the Congress Teams

A huge congrats to Tom & Margaret Ginty & John & Hilary McCrohan winners of the Inter A Regional Teams Qualifier

Congratulations to the winners of the Regional Teams Master section

John Godden Nan Murtagh Mary & Vincent Brennan

We are all deeply saddened by the news that Mary Finn has lost her battle with cancer and passed away last Sunday morning. 

Our sincere sympathies go to her family and many friends in the bridge community across the entire country.

Ballina Bridge Congress celebrated its ruby anniversary in 2016. This well attended 40th was held in Great National Hotel Ballina from July 10th - 12th. 

There were 23 tables in the Mixed Pairs on Friday night, 28 in the Congress pairs on Saturday and 29 in Intermediate Pairs on Saturday, and 28 in Congress Teams on Sunday as well as 14 tables for Intermediate Teams. The Gala Open Pairs attracted 28 tables on Friday night. There were 13 tables for Open Pairs on Saturday afternoon and 12 later on in the evening.. Sunday attracted more than 16 tables for the day.

The 2016 Congress was a great success and a very enjoyable occasion for all of the bridge players. This was made all the more so by the excellent running of the weekend by TD,s Fearghal, Mairead, Huey, John and Breeda. . Thomas MacCormac's Bridge Workshop on Saturday morning was a huge success and I am told will be a regular feature of future congresses. Those who wish to avail of Thomas' skills for congresses or other events should call 086 3859953 or email: tmaccormac@gmail.com. 

The CBAI are holding their Annual General Meeting in the Crown Plaza Hotel, Dundalk, on Saturday 2nd July at 2pm, during this meeting Mr. Pat Duff from the north east region will be officially elected President of the CBAI for 2016/2017....

Following the AGM, refreshments will be served and followed at 5pm, by a charity bridge event in aid of The Birches Alzheimer's Centre Dundalk....

All Bridge players are welcome to attend both the AGM & The Charity Bridge event

The North Western A.G.M. was held on the 2^nd June in the Abbey Hotel Roscommon and the outgoing President Angela McGrath handed over the chain of office to the incoming President  Colm Gallagher. Well done to Angela on a successful year and Good Luck to Colm for the upcoming  year.

So another season comes to an end in the region and what a season we have had. Well done to all who represented the region so well in all the various National and local competitions over the past year.

A special mention and huge Congratulations once again to our National Champions – Flor Higgins, Carmel Costello, Frances Burke and Fr. Gabriel Murphy  winners of the National Intermediate 'A' Teams Championship in Athlone.  The North-West Region also won the National Intermediate 'B' Teams with the team of  Ann-Marie Tuohy, Mary Lipsett, Pat Lyons and Pat O'Sullivan.  A another  regional team won the prize for the 'Best A2' Team (Denise Cassidy, Anne-MarieKeaney, John Scanlon and Dave Flanagan).  And well done to our Regional Master Team (Eileen O'Connor, Tommy Banks, George Brennan and Michael Morrisonn)who finished in the top half of their event to ensure that the North-West Region won the overall prize. 

What a huge success for the region, Well done once again......The West is certainly awake.....

All the players from the The north Western Region who helped in winning the regional prize of the National Teams Championship earlier this year.

A huge crowd turned up on the 10th April in Strokestown to compete for Angela McGrath's Presidents Prize.

The competition was finally won by the Sligo duo of Eileen O Connor & Gladys Sheridan.

A huge Congratulations to newly crowned 'National Champions' - Ann-Marie Tuohy, Mary Lipsett, Pat Lyons and Pat O'Sullivan winners of the National Intermediate 'B' Teams Championship in Athlone.  

Fearghal and Mairead receiving the best region award for the North Western Region

 The North-West Region also  won the National Intermediate 'A' Teams Championship with the team of Flor Higgins, Carmel Costello, Frances Burke and Fr. Gabriel Murphy.  

Well done to the Dream Team

George Brennan, Eileen O Connor, Tommy Banks & Michael Morrison the winners of the regional teams qualifier in Roscommon.

Good Luck in Athlone guys.

Well done also to Jim O Malley, Ian Pielow, Anne Gavigan & Cathy Kilcoyne who came 2nd.

Good Luck to all from the region travelling at the weekend to compete in the Burke Trophy & the O Connor Trophy

A big congrats to the winners of the Inter A teams qualifier in Roscommon

Mary Flynn, Joe Flynn, Margerat Lenehan and Anne Lenehan.

Well done also to Flor Higgins, Fr Gabriel Murphy, Carmel Costello & Frances Burke who qualified in 2 nd place in the Inter A's

Congratulations to the winners of the Inter B Regional teams qualifier in Roscommon.

Terry O Keefe, Mary O Keefe, Valerie Finneran and Pat Finneran.

Well done also to Anne Shine, Kathleen Corcoran, Mary Naughton & Kitty Gately who qualified in 2 nd Place in the Inter B's

A total of 94 pairs turned out last weekend for the Master Pairs 2015. The event was held in Templeogue and the victorious pair 2 days and 84 boards later were Gay Keavney & Peter Goodman. 

Click on the results tab for full results

Forty-nine pairs participated in this year's renewal of the Regional Pairs competition held at the Sligo Park Hotel on Sunday, 29th, November.

Congratulations go to Donal Geraghty and Mary Walshe, winners of the Masters category, to Attracta McGettrick and Mary Naughton, winners of the Intermediate 'A', and to Kathleen Corcoran and Ann Shine, winners of the Intermediate 'B'.

More detail on our NEWS page.

  Gerry Scanlon Huey Daly Frances Walkin and Tim Summerfield

The annual renewal of the Inter-Provincial Championships took place in Athlone over the past weekend (31st Oct./1st Nov.).

The North-West Region had five players included in the three teams representing Connacht and..............

 .........we did it!

 Winning the Championship by the comfortable margin of ONE victory point (305.47 to 304.39) from the previous holders, Leinster, the North-West Region was represented by Vincent and Mary Brennan, Nan Murtagh, Hilary McDonagh and yours truly.

          More detail on our NEWS page...........

Mrs. Gillian Ballantyne's Regional President's Prize was extremely well supported on Sunday, 8th March at The Sligo Park Hotel.

Congratulations go to the winners, Carmel Keenan and Margaret Quinn.

Sectional winners were as follows:-

Masters:              1.  Michael Morrison and Frances Sproule

                             2.  Mairin Ui Ruanai and Anna McKiernan

                             3.  Pat Kilfeather and Eileen Dodd

Intermediate 'A'  1.  Pat Bree and Jackie Bolster

                             2.  Brid Kenny and Mary O'Sullivan

                             3.  Geraldine McNally and Robert Stewart

                             4.  Flor Higgins and Frances Burke

Intermediate 'B'  1.  John and Mary Bourke

                             2.  Imelda McSharry and Pat Duggan

Novice section:  1.  Mary Lipsett and Joanne Barrett

                             2.  Ann Cox and Michael Leydon                          

A huge congratulations to Vincent and Mary Brennan, Nan Murtagh and John Godden pictured receiving The Coen Trophy from National President Freda Fitzgerald after their excellent performance on Sunday. When the team of four from The North West Region hit top place mid way through the competition they were determined not to be caught and cruised to victory.

If you or your friends are interested in learning bridge, click on 'NEWS' in the menu, and then click on 'BRIDGE CLASSES' on the revised menu.

The two latest additions for Beginners Classes are at The Percy French Hotel in Strokestown and at The Abbey Hotel, Roscommon. Both starting very shortly.

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Some new items on this site. For a full list of all forthcoming events, Regional and National, click on the menu 'Calendar' to the left. If you are looking for bridge classes, click on 'News Page' and then 'Bridge Classes' on the menu.  Another new item,  'Bridge Holidays'. Any of our readers interested in recommending or promoting holidays in Ireland or abroad should contact us with the details for inclusion on this web-site.