Popular Sandymount sports club Railway Union has played host to a range of activities for over 100 years, including Hockey, Tennis, Cricket, Lawn Bowls and Soccer and in fact boasts a number of international sportspersons, including cricketers Niall and Kevin O’Brien from Sandymount, as well as some current international lady hockey players.
For the last five years now it has been opening its doors to welcome an average of 50 enthusiastic members of the vibrant Bridge Club, every Monday night, where the young and not so young alike, take part in this engaging activity.
Bridge is a card game that became popular in the 1930s and involves four players who are arranged into two teams known as ‘pairs’. There are a number of variations to the basic game, such as Rubber Bridge, where each hand is freshly dealt, increasing the element of chance and the more straightforward Duplicate Bridge. Bridge is more complicated than most card games, which can be off-putting for beginners, however trends show that once the concept is grasped it can become a lifelong hobby.
Bridge tournaments continue to attract thousands of players who compete with each other to become Life Masters and millions of people continue to compete online and at home. The overseeing body for international competition is the World Bridge Federation.
For newcomers, there is a course of 12 lessons taking place at Railway Union, which began on 14th Jan and is facilitated by Dermot O’Brien. The chairperson of Railway Union Sports Club, Martin Cowley, told NewsFour, “The purpose of the lessons is to ensure the future success of the club and to enhance the community activities in the Sandymount area.”
Anyone who is interested in playing Bridge on Wednesdays or in taking part in the lessons can contact Martin Cowley on 0872331430 or by email martinfcowley@hotmail.com
By Maria Shields O’Kelly
