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Ballina Bridge Congress is an event that evolved from an idea our founding fathers had in the 1970s. The town held a Salmon Festival in July each year which attracted many visitors to the town; several of these from Northern Ireland. Aidan Cleary was living locally at the time, and on returning from a Bridge Congress in Clonmel in 1975 with a prize of a flitch of bacon, the idea of holding a congress in Ballina with salmon for prizes was born. Salmon were offered as prizes for many years until stocks of wild Moy salmon began to dwindle and the practice has now ceased. The Mixed Pairs competition on the Friday night is dedicated to the memory of a brilliant former Ballina Bridge player, Ias Kane, who was killed in a hit-and-run accident in the US in December 1954. Saturday's Congress Pairs is for the John Lowry trophy: John was a staunch member of the Congress Committee and a former treasurer and president, and won many trophies with his favourite partner, Anthony Kilcullen, both now deceased. On Saturday the Great National Hotel Ballina Intermediate Pairs Competition is held.
Presidents Ballina Bridge Congress
1970 + 1976 and 1977: Aidan Cleary 1978 Betty Gornley 1979 Jackie Carney
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1980 + 1980 Peg Glacken 1981 Michael Mullen 1982 Breege Gallagher 1983 Ena McCorkell 1984 Joe Moran 1985 Kay Forde 1986 John Lowry 1987 Valerie McGeogh 1988 Josie Cawley 1989 Anne Freeman |
1990 + 1990 Anthony Kilcullen 1991 Frances Walkin 1992 Tim Summerfield 1993 Jacqueline O'Toole 1994 Eithne Daly 1995 Mary Galvin 1996 Betty Gormley 1997 Vincent McMahon 1998 Marie Molloy 1999 Gráinne Bourke |
2000 + 2000 Gráinne Bourke 2001 John Mulkearns 2002 Marie Fahy/Anne Freeman 2003 Marge Lennon 2004 Edna Bourke 2005 Mary Lowry 2006 Mary Mongan 2007 Christy McLoughlin 2008 Michael Walkin 2009 Mary Gilvarry |
2010 + 2010 Gerard Moran 2011 Mary O'Dowd 2012 Helena Moran 2013 Úna Doyle 2014 Gerry Scanlon 2015 Gussie McEvilly 2016 Richard White 2017 Huey Daly 2018 Nuala Doyle |
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