The luck of the Irish!
Am just back from 10 glorious days in Ireland, with activities centered around the town of Arklow in Wicklow county on the East coast. Arklow is a town of about 13,000, and about an hour’s drive from Dublin. The weather was wonderful, the road system magnificent, and the sights many to behold – the Vale of Avoca (where those fantastic sweaters are knitted/woven), Waterford and its glass, the spa at Monart, Charles Stewart Parnell’s (the uncrowned king of Ireland) home at Avondale, the ancient Franciscan monastic site at Glendalough, and…..of course……bridge games. I played at clubs in Arklow, Gorey, and Greystones, and enjoyed all thoroughly. Club games in Ireland are very different from ones in Canada, the most notable differences being (i) director calls are extremely rare to non-existent (ii) there were no alerts (iii) there were no “table cards” as we know them but rather small cards telling you what table to move to next (iv) no one uses a convention card (v) players very rarely record their scores as they go along (vi) opening leads are entered into the BridgeMates (vii) players can see their score for each hand on the BridgeMate as well as seeing what contracts other pairs played in (viii) the opening lead is not faced until dummy is put down (ix) bidding cards are often left on the table until dummy is tabled (x) one club had a lovely tea break at half-time, complete with cookies and biscuits (xi) there are small cash prizes for those coming first, etc. (xii) everyone plays ACOL, but people could explain what they were playing in a sentence or two by simply stating 4 or 5 card majors, weak, strong or variable notrump, and strong opening two bids – no one (except my partner and myself) played weak twos (xiii) the game is far more sociable than here, but at the same time the standard of play was very high.
The games are regulated by the Contract Bridge Association of Ireland (CBAI), and the various master-point levels are Novice (N2 and N1), Intermediate (B, A2 and A1), Area Master, Regional Master, National Master, Life Master, and Grand Master. There is an excellent “Irish Bridge Journal” published 4 times a year.
This was my second trip to Ireland (the first being years ago to explore my family roots in Bantry) and this time was very special because of the many fine people who extended such a gracious welcome, and truly made me feel at home. To all I say a heartfelt “Ní bheidh mé a bheith ina strainséir in Éirinn arís”.
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Hi Paul,
I have been so preoccupied with other bridge activities, I never had an opportunity to read about your trip to Ireland ’til now. It sounded enchanting and a beautiful tribute to your heritage!
As far as the Irish bridge protocol at the games, it is definitely a far cry from here in the United States and would be what we call a ‘difficult sell,’ Can’t say I approve of relaxation of rules, but it appears to work for them and keeps people happy, so who am I to pass judgment? It sounds like it is a much more relaxing atmosphere with totally different objectives .. and little heed to the recognized rules mandatory here in Zone 2. Perhaps making people happy (especially in this troubled world) should take priority, and I can certainly understand that.
Not sure it would work for me as you can’t teach an old dog new tricks. but like they say … ‘whatever floats one’s boat?’
Thanks for sharing.