Ireland's Patsy Meehan and Petra O'Neill won the women's consolation pairs event at the General European Bridge championships in Tenerife yesterday. Arriving in Tenerife in the early hours of Sunday morning, only six hours before competition began, the Dublin pair were not at their best in the qualifying rounds of the main championship.
In the consolation pairs, however, they were at their best, scoring a 63 per cent first session to be second at halfway.
A solid performance in the second half was enough to take the top prize. Meehan and O'Neill first represented Ireland at the 1997 European championships in Montecatini, Italy. Since then they have regularly competed in international competition. This was their first big success.
Ireland's team in the open championship have ended their run of poor results. Although they lost 8-22 to Latvia they had two wins, 16-14 against Liechtenstein when Tom Hanlon, Hugh McGann, Michael MacDonagh and Brendan O'Brien played, and 18-12 against Turkey when Padraig O'Briain and Tomas Roche teamed up with Hanlon and McGann.
In round seven, they will meet Scotland where Ireland will be trying to avenge a defeat by the Scots in this year's Camrose trophy competition. Hanlon, McGann, MacDonagh and O'Brien will line out.
Russia, following a 22-8 defeat of England, has opened a gap at the top of the leaderboard.
Women's consolation pairs result:
1, Patsy Meehan, Petra O'Neill, Ireland;
2, I Saccavini, M Fransos, Italy;
3, L Benhamon, E Maitre, France.
Ireland finished joint 31st with England, scoring 72. Some 35 teams competed.