Best of luck to the Irish Team (“Irish Champions” – John Carroll, Tommy Garvey, Tom Hanlon, Adam Mesbur, and Mark Moran, with NPC Gráinne Barton) competing in the European Champions Cup in Helsinki over the next three days. This is an invitational event for teams from the countries that filled the top ten places in the preceding European Championships. As as result, they will be up against a very tough field, containing both World and European champions. A noteworthy absentee from the Irish team is Nick FitzGibbon, a stalwart of Irish bridge who was first capped in the early 1970s and has made many appearances for Ireland since, the majority of them in conjunction with his long-term partner, Adam Mesbur. We understand that Nick has decided that the time has come to retire from the stresses and strains of international bridge, although we hope that he will continue to appear locally, and he will continue to be involved with the Moran Team in a coaching capacity for the time being. It seems appropriate to thank Nick here for his efforts and commitment to Irish bridge over the past fifty years.
You’ll find full details on the Champions Cup, including the ongoing results, here. The tournament will be transmitted on the BBO VuGraph, so keep an eye out for the Irish team in action.