Omar Sharif was perhaps its most debonair exponent, but the late Hollywood star was in good company. Former general and US president Dwight Eisenhower was a regular player while, in more recent years, Martina Navratilova, Bill Gates, investor Warren Buffet and rock band Radiohead have all spoken of their passion for the game of Bridge.
Less a pastime than a way of life, Bridge is amongst the most enduringly popular of all card games, with regular tournaments played in dozens of countries across the globe and millions of players worldwide.
Included in that number are some 300 residents of Drogheda and the surrounding areas, all members of the seven bridge clubs that cater for the town and the wider region.
However, that popularity has created its own unique pressures not least the need to secure suitable, accessible spaces in which local devotees can meet and play.
On a weekly basis, up to 200 members and players had little choice but to make do with an array of rented rooms, hotels and quiet spaces in local bars. In many instances, poor accessibility and lack of parking forced older members to walk considerable distances to the venues.
The absence of suitable space not only made it difficult for existing members, especially those with an older age profile, but it was also less inviting and attractive for newer members to take up the game.
In pursuit of a solution to their common problem, the town’s seven bridge clubs pooled their resources and the Associated Bridge Clubs was born.
In their search for a suitably sized and centrally located premises, the Association came upon an old ESB warehouse in Drogheda, which they subsequently acquired. Plans were immediately drawn up to transform the building into a modern, accessible space that could cater comfortably for all clubs and members.
However, financing the modernisation and rebuild proved more difficult and the association approached Clann Credo for support.
A careful evaluation of the project revealed major social dividends for the 300 plus club members and the wider community, along with the undoubted economic benefits that a thriving club would deliver to the local economy.
Location: Drogheda, Co. Louth
Website:
https://www.facebook.com/abcddrogheda/
"The absence of suitable space not only made it difficult for existing members, especially those with an older age profile, but it was also less inviting and attractive for newer members to take up the game."