Belvedere Bridge Club present competition prizes

There was a wonderful atmosphere at Belvedere Bridge Club recently as members marked the end of another successful summer season with the presentation of prizes for both the Credit Union Pairs Competition and the Summer League.

Taking the honours in this year’s Summer League was Mattie Forde, a founder member of the club whose enthusiasm and skill at the bridge table remain as strong as ever. Several decades after helping to establish the club, Mattie continues not merely to participate but to feature regularly among the prizewinners.

His successful summer did not end with his League victory, as he also featured among the prizewinners in the Credit Union Pairs Competition. The top honours in the Credit Union Pairs Competition went to Bríd and Seán Galligan, who produced an outstanding score on the night to secure first place.

Bríd and Seán have been stalwarts of Belvedere Bridge Club throughout its lifetime and, like Mattie, continue to demonstrate that experience, enthusiasm and a love of the game make for a formidable combination.

Just as importantly, they continue to pass on their considerable skill and expertise to the next generation of players.

Brid and Seán will once again host Bridge Classes for Beginners, commencing on Thursday 8 October at 8pm in Mullingar Bridge and Amenity Centre. The classes provide an ideal opportunity for anyone who has ever wondered about learning bridge to take that first step. No previous experience is necessary, and newcomers will have the benefit of learning from two highly experienced players who have given so much to the development of the game locally.

Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, a well-known bridge enthusiast, has spoken frequently about the extraordinary intellectual challenge presented by the game. Bridge combines logic, memory, judgement, partnership and communication in a way that has kept generations of players coming back to the table, and nowhere is that more evident than in Mullingar.

Mattie Forde, Bríd and Seán Galligan, together with so many other players, continue year after year to demonstrate that bridge is not simply a game to be learned, but one that can be enjoyed, developed and mastered over a lifetime.

As another summer season draws to a close, Belvedere Bridge Club can celebrate the competition winners, and the enduring friendships, good humour and shared love of bridge which have sustained the club through the decades, while looking forward to welcoming a whole new generation of players to the tables this October.