We are delighted to publish the tenth edition of the CBAI-produced Irish Bridge Journal (Summer 2025). 

This time around, alongside the usual selection of articles and quizzes, results and upcoming fixtures, we have some very interesting once-off features, including:

• A review of his 54-year (and counting!) bridge career by Gay Keaveney, one of Ireland's most decorated and widely-travelled stars;
• Analyses of the Irish triumphs in both the Spring Fours (by John Carroll) and the Lederer Trophy (by the Editor) - well done again to Team Moran on taking home two of the most prestigious EBU prizes;
• A provocation by one of our leading juniors, Luca Crone, to re-evaluate what you consider to be a 1NT opening bid;
• An article on Tralee Congress - we would love to see more articles on our congresses, which form an essential part of the CBAI calendar; it has been great to see the big increase in congress attendances this season, a trend that we hope will continue;
• The very first song ever to appear in the Journal, courtesy of Nicola O'Dowd.

We hope that you will enjoy these and all the other articles in the Journal. Thanks as always to our editor, Enda Murphy, our designer, Sue Power, all our contributors, and of course our advertisers – please support them whenever you can. This edition's advertisers include a Portuguese holiday in October and a Bridge Train outing to Cork next week, 10 June.

Finally, on the topic of congresses, a brief reminder of the four over the summer that will complete the current season and open the next:

• Yeats Country (Sligo) Congress back face-to-face in the Clayton Hotel this weekend, 6-8 June;
• Killarney Congress likewise in the Castlerosse Hotel the following weekend 13-15 June;
• Your chance to celebrate the centenary of the Regent Bridge Club at their special congress in the O'Reilly Hall, UCD, from 11-13 July;
• The Boyne Valley Bridge Bash in Knightsbrook Hotel on 24 August.

I hope you have a lovely summer, and perhaps to see you at the CBAI AGM in the Greenway Manor Hotel, Waterford, at 2 p.m. on Saturday 5 July.

With best wishes

Dermot O’Brien

Chief Executive, CBAI

HISTORY

Raheny Bridge Club was founded in the Nineteen seventies, by a group of bridge enthusiasts headed by Tom and Veronica Clibborn. Members have been regular players in Regional and National events.  Teams in the Dublin North Region Kirwan League have also been enthusiastically supported by Raheny.

Raheny Bridge Club is afilliated to the Contract Bridge Association of Ireland (C.B.A.I.)

1996 Celebration

Raheny B.C. 21st birthday

The event was a dinner dance with entertainment in Hollybrook Hotel on the occasion of Irene O'Driscoll's President's prize night.

Front row: Pat Geoghegan, Rosaleen Dunphy, Peg Daly, May McSherry, Ena Warner.

Back row: Olivia Murphy, Brid O'Connell, Angela & Maurice Christie, Anne Bradley, Eileen Greer, Mary Campion, Nora Foley, Nuala Twomey.