‘It’s nice to be good at something’ - Bridge player

Established in 1952, Cavan Bridge Club deals the cards weekly on a Monday night at the Cavan Crystal Hotel.

The club has over sixty members ranging from ages 39 to 89. Bridge is a trick taking game played by four players in pairs, where you bid for a contract and the winning side tries to make the number of tricks required to make the contract they have bid.

Secretary of Cavan Bridge Club Melissa Brady began the game just five years ago and has already played her way up to an area master.

“It’s nice to be good at something,” she said of her talents.

“I got up pretty fast, it usually takes about fifteen years to get up to an area master.”

When visiting with her best friends and their families, she found “if you didn’t play cards you might as well just sit there twiddling your thumbs and be left out of the craic.

“I learned how to play cards with them,” she said, describing how a love of Whist led her to Bridge, where she met Paddy McDermott who taught her everything she knows at his own kitchen table.

“I haven’t looked back since,” she said.

Melissa plays Bridge five nights per week, in Cavan on a Monday, Navan on Tuesday, Cavan on Wednesday, Ballyjamesduff on a Thursday and Longford on a Friday.

“We have national competitions and congresses on the weekends, most weekends there’s something on if you’re willing to travel.

“I love playing cards and nobody in my house knows how to play cards, they wouldn’t know how to shuffle a deck.

“Some people are very serious and some people are there for the social aspect of it.”

Those wanting to join the club must go for lessons, with a minimum of twenty lessons required before joining. There are six clubs in the county - Cavan, Baileborough, Virginia, Belturbet, Crannóg and Ballyjamesduff. Lessons take place weekly in Virginia and Cavan Crystal Hotel (Crannóg), while Cavan Bridge Club offers improver lessons during June and July.

“It’s not something you can just walk into and be able to play, you actually need to learn how to play.

“There’s lots of laws,” she said.

“At the end of twenty lessons you should be able to go in graded as a novice,” she said.

As Cavan Bridge County Development Officer, she said: “I love it, I would love as many people to play it as possible.”

Those wishing to join can check the Contract Bridge Association of Ireland (CBAI) website www.cbai.ie for lessons or contact Melissa on cavanbridgecdo@gmail.com.