Young draughts players from Carlow strengthen bond with Italy
Young draughts players from Italy and the Bennekerry/Tinryland club faced off in a tough competition recently at Carlow town. Winners were presented with their trophies by mayor of Carlow Paul Doogue
CARLOW welcomed young draughts players from Aosta, Italy recently as part of a friendly international exchange with the Bennekerry/Tinryland Draughts Club.
The second leg of the tournament, following the opening round in Aosta in July, took place in the Talbot Hotel, Carlow. After six hard-fought rounds of play, the Italian side emerged victorious once again, leaving the home team with plenty of new moves and strategies to hone for the future.
Carlow’s draughts players were Eddie and John Keenan, Seán, Páidí and Seoidín Breen, Wren, Créd, Nuadha and Dubhlacha Stynes, Danny, Sara and Darcy Donegan, Caoimhe and Seán Keating, Aidan Cunningham, and Kenny and Cian Bolger.
Following the intensity of the matches, the visiting players enjoyed a well-deserved break with tours of local attractions. Their itinerary included the stunning Altamont Gardens, a visit to the historic ruins of Duckett’s Grove and a trip to the Browneshill Dolmen, where they received a fascinating historical insight from councillor Fergal Browne.
The Italian group then continued their journey to Dublin, where they spent some more days enjoying the sights of the capital city.
Chairperson of Bennekerry/Tinryland Draughts, Mairéad Breen, praised the success of the exchange: “This visit has further strengthened the bond between our club and our friends in Aosta. We are grateful for all the support we received in hosting such a wonderful event.”
She extended special thanks to mayor of Carlow Paul Doogue and cllr Fergal Browne, as well as the Talbot Hotel and the Dinn Rí for their warm hospitality and contributions to making the visit such a memorable success.
Some of the younger Bennekerry/Tinryland players have now started preparations for a trip to Amsterdam in November, where they will take part in an under-12 tournament in the town of Koudum.
