Please note that the venue for the Master Pairs competition has changed from the original venue of the Templeogue Bridge Centre to the O’Reilly Hall in UCD.
Here’s a map; the best entrance is via the Stillorgan Road entry, and there is ample parking beside the O’Reilly Hall, which is signposted.
We had to turn away potential entrants from this competition last year, as Templeogue was full to capacity, and initial indications are that the numbers will be higher again this season. So we have taken the view that moving to a larger premises make sense. The Regent Bridge Club used the O’Reilly Hall for its congress during the summer, and the feedback on the venue was excellent.
The O’Reilly Hall is a considerably more expensive venue, and we also incur equipment transportation costs that do not arise in the case of Templeogue, so it will be necessary to charge a higher entry fee of €50 for both the Master Pairs and the Holmes Wilson Cup in February, to recoup these extra costs whilst still allowing us to provide an attractive prize pool. We’ll take soundings from the players after the event as to whether they believe the extra costs are justified, and whether they wish to see the event held in UCD in future years.
Entries for the Master Pairs are currently open online. The event is sponsored again this season by
ALHomecare. It is open to Master grades only, and is played over three sessions, two on Saturday, starting at 13:00, one on Sunday, starting at 11:00. Lunch will be available at the venue during the break on Saturday, and tea/coffee/snacks throughout both days. There is also ample dining availability nearby – Donnybrook, Mount Merrion and Stillorgan are all within five minutes drive.