It was a case of so near and yet so far for BOTH Irish teams in action in the Teltscher Trophy (Senior Camrose) over the weekend in CityNorth Hotel in Gormanstown.
After four of the five rounds, Ireland led by a considerable margin, with Wales and the CBAI team more or less tied for second place. Ireland played Wales in the final set, whilst the CBAI took on Northern Ireland. At the halfway break of that match, Wales had a substantial lead over Ireland, but the CBAI had a similar lead over Northern Ireland, and headed the leaderboard and looked favourites to win. Wales continued their strong set, however, and with ten boards to go, it was very tight at the top, and any one of the three teams could have emerged victorious. An improbable Welsh slam on Board 26 of the final set (they were the only one of the six pairs to bid it) put paid to Ireland’s hopes, but the CBAI still held a narrow lead, and the result was in the balance until the very end. Wales were not to be denied, however, and finished strongly to take the trophy for just the second time, with the CBAI second, and Ireland third.
Many congratulations to the Welsh team (Gary Jones, Paul Lamford, Diane Kurbalija, Paul Denning, Andy Hughes, Adrian Thomas, and NPC Andrea Knox, who delivered a very witty speech at the prizegiving ceremony) and commiserations to the CBAI (Donal Garvey, Pat Quinn, Enda Glynn, Gay Keaveney, Paul Porteous, Fred Barry, and NPC Joan Kenny) and Ireland (Ranald Milne, BJ O’Brien, Pádraig Ó Briain, Micheál Ó Briain, Peter Goodman, Terry Walsh, and NPC Derek O’Gorman). The winners are pictured below receiving their trophy from IBU President Heather Hill.
Wales Teltscher Trophy Winners 2025
A big thank you to all who made the weekend so successful – our TD crew of Fearghal O’Boyle, Mairead Basquille, and Alan Hill; our cast of volunteers who ensured that every single match was broadcast live on RealBridge; the RealBridge team for their assistance, including the various Irish experts who provided commentary, which adds greatly to the online viewing experience; and the hotel staff who did everything they could to provide a weekend to remember for all our guests.