We are delighted to announce that the winners of the CBAI President’s Award for 2022 are the Ferbane husband-and-wife duo, Eileen and Ultan McCabe. This award recognises the unsung heroes who do the hard graft behind the scenes to ensure that bridge is well managed at local level throughout the country. Eileen and Ultan were nominated by the North Midland region, and by a number of clubs from the region. Within their home club, Ferbane, they are a dynamic duo whose contribution to the club has been immense. Each has served as President, and Ultan was also the Secretary for many years. They have organised competitions, run charity nights, and, since the club acquired the relevant technologies, they deal boards, set movements, and run the scoring, with Ultan acting as TD, and Eileen in charge of the laptop.
They have also run classes in both Ferbane and nearby Banagher, and Ultan served as North Midland Regional President, while Eileen was the organising force behind a successful application for grant aid from the Offaly Leader programme. By all accounts she makes a very tasty éclair for the after-bridge functions too. All in all, the epitome of what the unsung heroes and heroines contribute to local bridge, willingly and without seeking recognition, and as a result most deserving winners of the President’s Award. Many congratulations to them both; they are pictured receiving the award from CBAI President Pat O’Mahony at Ferbane Bridge Club.
There were many worthy nominees this year, several of them nominated for the work they have done in getting online bridge up-and-running in local areas during the pandemic. We would like to recognise all those volunteers too; we are hoping to provide an opportunity for clubs to demonstrate their gratitude to them at some stage next season when everything is back to some kind of normality.