Bridge notes: Ireland women’s honourable European performance raises World Cup hopes

Joan Kenny, Jeannie Fitzgerald, Teresa Rigney, Siobhán Park, Lucy Phelan and Louise Mitchell finished seventh in the European women’s online team championship which finished on Sunday, having earlier qualified for the final in fourth place. They beat England and Scotland in the last two rounds. Germany won with Turkey second, England third. A repeat performance in the European Championships in Denmark later this month would qualify Ireland for next year’s World championships. Kathleen Vaughan, Noreen Pender, Margaret Farren, Anna Carr, Aoife MacHale and Antoinette McGee missed the A final by less than a point but went on to be third in the B final behind Poland and Belgium, a commendable performance considering that most of the team were new to European team competition.

Niall and Ian Kilroy won the pairs contest in the Yeats Country online congress when finishing ahead of Ronnie O’Shaughnessey and Breda Kelly. Katherine Lennon and Johanne Powell were third. Other results were:

Area masters: 1. Brendan Doyle, Mags Kelly; 2. Rita Harvey, Kathleen McCay. Intermediate A: 1. Brenda and John Biggar; 2. Olive O’Donnell, Rhona Shiel. Mixed: 1. Rita Lundon, Martin Naughton; 2. Bernie Sargent, Eric McNicholl. Gala: 1. Carolyn O’Donnell, Chantal McCabe; 2. Mark Burke, Pat Liston. Fast Friday: 1. Donek Szenejko, Mary Timoney; 2. Marie Beaney, Séamus Boyle. Intermediate B Friday: Teresa Murphy, Simon Burrell. Saturday: 1. Mary Cahill, Paul Woodlock. Sunday: Mary and Davy Donohue. Teams: 1. Ian Walsh, Stefan Lindfors, Rob Lawy, Jim Grant; 2. Marcin Rudzinski, Michelle Moloney, Anna Onishuk, Karel De Raeymaeker.

The death has occurred in Dublin of John Comyn, former bridge correspondent with Independent Newspapers. A champion track athlete in his youth, he was also one of the leading tenors of his era, excelling in the light opera repertoire. He won a number of national bridge championships, attained the rank of life master, represented Ireland in World and European senior championships and played in friendly matches against England. In addition, he represented Dublin in the annual intercity match against Liverpool and won numerous interprovincial medals with Leinster. Controversial in his bridge column, John was outspoken in his criticism of players. Nonetheless, his trenchant style gave rise to debate and was instrumental in generating and maintaining widespread interest in the game. His book, Doubled Up: Laughing at the Game of Bridge is a humorous account of his experiences at the bridge table.