Robots are back in play!

Two robots will be seated in our tournaments starting 19th January 2022 to avoid sitouts. Note that robots always announce their bids so that should help to play against them.
They play quickly, but you do not have to follow their rhythm - play at your own speed.
Robots play the American 2/1 system - this is basically 5 card majors, strong NT, weak 2s - full details are available here BBO Robots Bidding System

2019 Gwen Morgan winner Josephine Fitzpatrick being presented with the trophy by President Alan Lennox.

Welcome to our new Committee under the guidance of President Alan Lennox.  Contact details are on the website under:  Information / Committee.

Our BBO Charity Tournament on 16th December 2020 raised €3,700 for the Holles Street Linen Guild. Congratulations to the committee members who organised this event with great enthusiasm and to the members who contributed by playing in the tournament and by giving donations.

Improvers Course or “ Spice up your Bridge game!”      

  Members are invited to join up for a course of ten lessons aimed at experienced Bridge Players who wish to Improve their knowledge of systems which would enhance their enjoyment and their competence at the Bridge table. The course will be given by Dermot O’Brien, a well known teacher, and is expected to run for 6 Monday evenings  ( 7-9 pm), from mid January to mid March. It is of course dependent on sufficient members’ interest so please inform Cecily, our Hon Sec , or Alan  Lennox if you wish to participate. The cost will be €100-120 depending on the number of participants. No partners required.

Congratulations to the winners of the Gwen Morgan Trophy, Betty Cody and Sheila Horkan. Twenty pairs played on BBO on 18th November 2020 for the lovely trophy presented by Sheila Hillis in memory of her late mother. Due to COVID restrictions there was no formal presentation but another photo of the winners may be seen here (to be cropped and resized). The full results may be seen in the list on the right hand side of the screen.

Winners Michael Fitzgibbon and Sheila Horkan with Pat Cowley President

Phil Hartnett and Michael Fitzgibbon were the deserving winners of the Marie Owens competition played on BBO over two weeks of 14th & 21st October. The full results may be seen on the right hand side of the screen. Due to COVID restrictions there was no formal presentation but individual photos of the prizewinners may be seen here. Michael Fitzgibbon with his feline friend is shown on the left.

This panel shows Phil Hartnett, the other member of the winning pair.

The late Marie Owens was an enthusiastic member of the RDS Bridge Club. After her death, her family found lots of brown envelopes containing Bridge prizes and they used them to donate a trophy in her memory.

Our Charity Night this year will be run in aid of Special Olympics Ireland Eastern Region. They provide year round sports training and competition to over 2,100 people with an intellectual disability.   91 Irish athletes from all over Ireland are currently attending the World Games in Abu Dhabi.  Our money will go towards the training of one athlete, as well as clothing gear for some others.   I chose this as our charity as I have been doing some voluntary work with Special Olympics for a number of years.  I see how athletes thrive by being involved in sport and benefit from the input of many volunteers.  See the link below for further information about Special Olympics:

http://www.specialolympics.ie/

I hope you can all play on the night and support this event.  We also need your help in other ways. 

For example:

1. Take a publicity flier (available at bridge) and ask your friends to come.  Tickets for the bridge will be available at bridge if you want to buy them in advance or take some to sell to your friends.
2. Donate a prize for the raffle.  They may be brought along to bridge any Wednesday.
3. Help on the day:  For example, in the morning of the 17^th we need help to set up the supper, tables etc.  On the night, we need help to welcome guests, sell raffle tickets, serve the supper, help with tidy up.  RDS staff are there also and are most helpful all day.  Some of our bridge players could help with moving the boards.
4. Supper:  as last year we ask members to volunteer to bake!  To simplify this, we ask if you could do a tray bake of one of the following:

• lemon drizzle
• banana bread or fruit cake,
• chocolate brownies or chocolate biscuit cake
• shortbread

If you can help with any of the above, please let me know.

Mobile:  086 3241198

Email:  patcowley9@gmail.com

We will have a Sections for Novices and Intermediates.

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  2019 RDS Perpetual Trophy
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  2019 rds perpetual trophy i
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  2019 rds perpetual trophy iv

2019 RDS Perpetual Trophy:

1^st:  Sheila Horkan and Betty Cody

2^nd: Joan Lewis and Graeme Williams

3^rd: Kathleen D. O’Connor and Nancy Malone

4^th Jean Kelly and Marcella Maugham

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  2018 christmas party
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  2018 christmas party 10
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  2018 christmas party 3
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  2018 christmas party 4
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  2018 christmas party 11
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  2018 christmas party 5
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  2018 christmas party 6
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  2018 christmas party 7
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  2018 christmas party 8
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  2018 christmas party 9

End of year results for 2018 in Turkey Competition and Christmas Party night:

The Turkey Competition this year was very kindly sponsored by Aisling White, daughter of the late Maeve White.  Aisling was at our Christmas Party to present her prizes.  Two Competitions were run and the results are as follows:

Results of bridge at Christmas Party night:

1^st:  Graeme Williams and Joan Lewis

2^nd:  Eilis Walsh and Margot Doyle

3^rd: Sheila Horkan and Betty Cody

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  2018 turkey competition winners
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  2018 turkey competiton winners

Bridge Lessons for beginners have started again for the second term.  If you know of anyone who would like to join the class, please let Pat Cowley know.  They are open to RDS members.  If you have some knowledge of bridge, but regard yourself as almost a beginner, then you could probably benefit from the classes.  Dermot O’Brien is the teacher and classes take place in the RDS on Wednesdays from 5.00 to 7.0-0 p.m.  The cost is €100.

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  4th place olive o driscoll
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  5th place mary mccarthy
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  6th place sheila horkan
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  Joint 2nd josephine fitzpatrick
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  Sheila hillis presenting prize to winner creeda fitzgibbon with pat cowley president in centre

Congratulations to Creeda Fitzgibbon winner of this year’s Gwen Morgan individual competition.  Sheila Hillis, daughter of Gwen Morgan, is presenting the prize with Pat Cowley President of the Bridge Club.

Joint 2^nd place:  Alice Tunney and Josephine Fitzpatrick

4^th place:  Olive O’Driscoll

5^th place:  Mary McCarthy

6^th place:  Sheila Horkan

Congratulations to the winners of the Marie Owens Competition Elsa Ranalow and Sheila Hillis.

2^nd Place:  Betty Cody and Sheila Horkan.

Joint 3^rd Place:  Graeme Williams, Terry Dolan and Denise Sampson, Joan Hayes

1^st Session prize:  Anne Marie Feeney and Phil Harnett

2^nd Session:  Michael Fitzgibbon and Roger Jupp

The 4Fun Team bridge took place on Friday 26^th October in the Library.  Thank you to Maurice O’Leary for directing the competition.  One of the RDS teams won their Section. The team was:  Sheila Horkan, Michael Cassidy, Joan Casey and Maeve Cassidy (Railway Union).   Picture shows Sheila and Maeve with Dublin South Region President Brid Kemple.

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Please note that the November Supper will take place a week earlier than usual and will be on Wednesday 21st November.

BRIDGE LESSONS

Bridge lessons for beginners will start in September for RDS members.  If you know of anyone who may be interested, please let me know. 

The details are as follows:

• Teacher:  Dermot O’Brien
• Time and Place:  from 5.00 p.m. to 7.00 in the Library on Wednesdays
• Duration of course:  A 10 week term starting Wednesday 12^th September followed by another 10 lessons after Christmas
• Cost:  €100 per person per term
• If interested please contact:  Pat Cowley 086 3241198 OR Moya Murphy 087 6152531

We hope to encourage more RDS members to take up bridge and perhaps join our club in the future.

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The AGM was held on Wednesday 16th May 2018.  For the names of the new Committee for 2018-2019 see the panel to the left with Committee listed under Information.

Well done to Terry Dolan who is the Player of the Year.  

Well done to Graeme Williams' team who won the Fanagan League Section A Division 1.  Two teams were joint first going in to the last round and the RDS came from 3rd position to win.  The team over the year were:  Terry Dolan, Sheila Hillis, Roger Jupp, Se O'Connor, Elsa Ranalow and Graeme Williams (Captain).  See photo below.

A Novices' team was entered for the first time in the Fanagan League.  They came 3rd out of 5 teams in their section.  The team were:  Pat Cannon, Arthur Ryan, Susan Leonard, Barbara McAllister, Peter Kieran, Frances Gardiner and Peter McDonald.  Well done to all.

Charity Night in aid of Headway - Brain Injury Services & Support

The amount raised has now risen to €7,620.  Well done everyone who supported this Charity Evening.  A great team effort led by our President Moya Murphy!  See photos below.

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2018 President’s Prize results:

Congratulations to Denise Sampson and Josephine Fitzpatrick who were the winners in the President’s Prize. 

2^nd prize:  Gladys Factor and Sheila Hillis

3^rd prize:  Betty Cody and Sheila Horkan

4^th prize:  Phil Harnett and Creeda Fitzgibbon

5^th prize:  Terry Dolan and Pat Cowley

6^th prize:  Pat Cannon and Arthur Ryan

1^st Session prize:  Therese Wilson and Maureen Nolan

2^nd Session prize:  Margot Doyle and Eilis Walsh

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Please put your name down on the Stand-By List.  This means we are all guaranteed a game.  

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As part of the experiment to have a Section for people who wish to play at a faster pace we will try this variation for the next few weeks.
It will not apply to 2 week competitions or the CBAI Sims night.
The section will be limited to exactly 5 tables - no half table will be allowed.
The movement has to be a Howell to give a fair result.
8 rounds of 3 boards so you meet 8 of your 9 opponents.
There are SEATED POSITIONS at TABLE 1 N/S and 2 N/S.
If there are less than 7 tables for the rest of the members, the experiment will be suspended for that week and all players will play in one section.

For any further information on the above please contact Moya Murphy or Pat Cowley.  Details of the Committee can be found under 'Information' button.

See below for photographs:

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  2017 christmas party. betty cody and sheila horkan 2nd north south
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  2017 christmas party. creeda and sheila hillis 1st north south
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  2017 christmas party. maureen noan and celeste kenny 3rd north south
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  2017 christmas party. susan benson and elaine hartigan 1st east west
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  2017 christmas party
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  2017 christmas party 4

Christmas Party winners

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  2017 eamon and juliet kelly 3rd in turkey competition
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  2017 olive o driscoll and cecily o donovan 5th in turkey competition
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  2017 roger jupp partner michael fitzgibbon 1st in turkey competition
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  2017 sheila hillis and elsa ranalow 2nd in turkey competiton
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  2017 sheila horkan and betty cody 4th in turkey competition

Winners of the Turkey Competition

Winner of Gwen Morgan Individual Trophy Joan Lewis with President Moya Murphy

Winners of the Marie Owens Trophy Nancy Malone and Kathleen D. O'Connor receiving the trophy from President Moya Murphy

Sheila Horkan,  President of the Dublin South Region of the CBAI, 2017-2018,  with Moya Murphy,  President of the RDS Bridge Club at the AGM of the DSR held Friday 26 May 2017

It is with great pleasure that we announce that one of our members,  Mrs Sheila Horkan,  has been elected President of the Dublin South Region of the CBAI for the year 2017 - 2018. Sheila is a hardworking and active supporter of bridge and its development in Ireland. She was previously the Secretary of the Dublin South Region,  and in addition to the RDS Bridge Club,  Sheila is also a member of the Regent and Bankers Bridge Clubs. She is well known to the Board of the RDS,  having been a member of several of its Committees. Additonally, since becoming a Committee Member of our own RDS Bridge Club last year,  Sheila's advice,  assistance and unselfish support of the club and its activities has been outstanding.  On behalf of all her fellow bridge players, we wish Sheila every success in the coming year.  Photograph below.....

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  Fanagans 1 - 2017
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  Fanagans 2 - 2017

Fanagan League :

Intermediate A Division 3 Winners 2016-2017

Graeme Williams (Captain).  Elsa Ranalow,  Roger Jupp,  Sheila Hillis,  Se O'Connor, Terry Dolan

East / West Winners -  Open Pairs Competition on the final Night

Graeme Williams and Terry Dolan

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  Charity 2017 10
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  Charity 2017 1
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  Charity 2017 2
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  Charity 2017 3
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  Charity 2017 4
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  Charity 2017 5
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  CHarity 2017 6
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  Charity 2017 7
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  Charity 2017 8
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  Charity 2017 9

Charity Night 

Our Charity Night in Aid of The Royal Hospital Donnybrook, which was held on Wednesday 17 April 2017 in the Concert Hall of the RDS, was an outstanding success.  We had 63 tables (252 playing guests) - a record attendance - and raised 8,275 euro for the Royal Hospital Donnybrook.  A huge thank you to all our members for their support,  and to the committee and all our volunteers for their stirling work and advance preparations which ensured the success of the night

Roger Jupp, President, with Betty Cody who won the President's Prize with Sheila Horkan

Presentation of the Perpetual Trophy by Professor Eoin Lewis, Vice-President of the RDS, to the 2017 winners Phil Harnett and Sheila Hillis.

Sheila Hillis winner of the Gwen Morgan Trophy with Roger Jupp

Congratulations to Sheila Horkan and Graeme Williams winners of this year's Marie Owen Competition