The weekend saw Cork Congress in the lovely setting of the Maryborough Hotel. In keeping with trends this season the numbers were up on last year; particularly notable was an entry of 29 pairs in the Novice Pairs competition, a tribute to the teaching being done in the Cork area. The winners of the various competitions were:
- Mixed Pairs: Edel Murphy & Rory Boland
- Novice Pairs: John Sweeney & Donie Cahill
- Congress Pairs: John O’Connor & Kelan O’Connor
- Intermediate Pairs: John Hogan & Sarah Hogan
- Congress Teams: Donal Garvey, Pat Quinn, Dermot Cotter, Rory Boland
- Open Pairs: Catherine Kelly & Mairead Healy; Teresa Leggett & Edel Murphy; Imelda Cullinan & Ronnie Keane; Alastair Catchpole & Duncan Thomas
Well done to the Congress Committee and to TD Diarmuid Reddan for an excellently-organised event managed in the usual smooth fashion.
A notable moment of the weekend was a special presentation to Nora Moloney, a local bridge player for many years, playing in her first ever congress … in her 101st year! Nora was 100 in September, still plays bridge regularly in various local clubs, and often drives, picking up her younger friends on the way. CBAI President John Phelan had the honour of partnering Nora in Saturday’s Open Pairs, and commented that she played very well, at lightning pace, and that she would have had a better result (they came sixth) with a better partner! Many congratulations to Nora, who received a bouquet of flowers from the Congress, and a standing ovation from the room.
