Please note that this is preliminary and subject to change (revised October 16, 2024).
Details
The Irish Games Association hosts Ireland’s oldest independent gaming convention, Gaelcon. This year, it takes place from October 25-28th, at the Crowne Plaza, Northwood, Dublin 9.
Need directions? Here’s a map of how to get here. 🛏️ Need accommodation for the con? Hotel link
Memberships which include con entry will cost €50 but will increase in price to €55 on the door.
There is also a €35 Concession Ticket available for the unwaged.
Individual Day tickets are also on sale.
See HERE for more details
Site Guide
Our Con Map will be available as part of the programme. This will direct you to all the events and locations for the con, which is fully contained within the hotel. Jog Brogzin – Fantasy Cartographer – will be producing another work of art this year.
Photography & Media
Please note that the event may be photographed for the purposes of promoting the convention and the IGA. Please advise the photographer know if you do not wish to be photographed. There may be local radio volunteers on-site at certain periods also, from Nerd to Know Basis on Phoenix FM.
The Plan
So what do we have lined up for you? Here’s a very brief overview of what’s coming –
Guest of Honour
Our special guest is Guy Sclanders, of greatgamemaster.com, or on Youtube.
Geeks Table : The Creators of How to be a Great Game Master : Guides, books and tips on being a Great GM in your RPG
hello@greatgamemaster.com | greatgamemaster.com
Guy Sclanders has been running games since he was 14. This was a long time ago. Like a really long time. Like some of his best campaigns were titled: Ug Fire, No Noah, that’s not a boat, and Caesar invades Gaul – a live LARP – believed to be the first LARP in 76BC… seriously though – he has been running games for a long time.
And although he will admit that his knowledge of game systems is limited, he has also spent nearly 20 years writing scripts and screenplays for TV and film. Which has required him to research and understand a wide variety of aspects regarding storytelling and how to bring it all together.
Guy will be running two panels over the weekend:
Planning an adventure for a convention
How much should you prepare? What if you don’t have enough or if you have too much? Should every detail be planned? What are the practical things you need? No session zero so what is and is not appropriate? I’ll answer all these questions in this talk for new and experienced GMs.
Creating a great villain for your game
Stuck for your next idea? Or having trouble working out your next villain? I’ve spent a lot of time exploring the nature of evil villains and this is my fool-proof method for creating amazing, memorable, and different villains for my games. By the end of the session you’ll have your own villain – be warned. Please bring writing equipment (phone is fine).
All Weekend
RPG’s and LARPS:
We will be running role playing games and live action role playing games all weekend long.
You can review our schedule here.
You can find our Pathfinder schedule here [Gaelcon 2024 – Pathfinder Society – Google Sheets]
Board games!
Our amazing board games library will be open all weekend, just pay your refundable deposit (€5) and pick your game, we have a superb breakout area lined up this year too.
The 4-day schedule for the boardgames area is now live for Gaelcon 2024. Pick out the games you want to play and comment on the geeklist for soft pre-bookings. All details can be found here: https://iga.ie/boardgames-schedule-2024/
We are delighted to announce that GMT Games (https://www.gmtgames.com) has sponsored our boardgames events and raffle prizes all weekend. Make sure to rent or prebook a boardgame over the weekend to be in with a chance to win. Raffles will be held at 5pm Saturday, Sunday and Monday.
We will also be demoing some of these fantastic games in the board game room over the weekend.
Throughout the weekend up-and-coming boardgame designers will be demoing their games in the boardgame area.
The Gaelcon Math Trade is open.
Traders!
| Céilí Braidwood | As an artist Céilí brings fun carnival vibes to her stall with a badge fishing game, colourful illustrations, and a variety of self published comics. https://www.instagram.com/mildfox.artist/ https://mildfox.wixsite.com/my-site/comics ^ |
| Chriscomix | Selling art prints, keychains, badges and stickers https://chriscomixportfolio.weebly.com https://www.instagram.com/chriscomix64?igsh=MWU1Zng5aTk3YjduMg== ^ |
| Conor Carroll Art | Homebrew TTRPG books, fantasy and pop culture posters, stickers, prints http://conorcarrollart.wordpress.com http://instagram.com/conorcarrollart ^ |
| Meeps Gaming Ltd | Retailer of board/card games, accessories and dice |
| Cuisle Designs | I draw and print on clothing, bags, mugs and pencil cases. I also make earrings, keychains and more. The focus is Gaeilge, dogs and geekiness www.cuisledesigns.com www.facebook.com/cuisledesigns ^ |
| Dustbunny-Studios | Self-published graphic novels & comics. Merch such as charms, pins, tote bags, pencil cases, lanyards and stickers, based on my original creations. Traditional one-of-a-kind art pieces. Prints both fanart and original. http://dustbunny-studios.com/galleries/convention-gallery/ https://www.instagram.com/anthea_west?igsh=NjExZHYwcnltZDNh ^ |
| EireHobbies | EireHobbies stocks a wide range of products including asn extensive range of tabletop games, boardgames, RPG and much more. www.eirehobbies.com ^ |
| Elisabeth Neveux Illustration | Linocuts, pen and ink illustrations, gouache paintings, inspired by dark fairy tales, ghost stories , women and the eerily beautiful! https://ko-fi.com/elisabethneveuxillustration https://www.instagram.com/elisabeth_neveux_illustration/ ^ |
| Graphricks | I’m an artist who sells prints of artwork based on fanart between anime and videogames along with that of Yugioh vintage cards https://cara.app/graphricks https://www.instagram.com/graphricks ^ |
| itsHalfpint Illustration | Digital artist, selling prints, stickers and tshirts of original art and fan art (gaming, anime, TV) www.itshalfpint.com https://www.instagram.com/its_halfpint ^ |
| Jane’s World | Hi, I’m Jane 🧚♀️ Welcome to my world, a home I created for all of my art and creativity ✨ I draw, paint, sculpt and design cute stuff 🤗 I mostly make illustrated stickers, beaded jewellery, crochet and clay accessories! 💖 My next product launch is D&D themed! I am currently creating sticker packs, stationary and jewellery based around the different races and classes in my favourite game! ✨ https://janeswrld.myshopify.com/ https://www.instagram.com/janes_wrld_/ ^ |
| Jog Brogzin – Fantasy Cartographer | Fantasy Mapmaker from Dublin http://jogbrogzin.com https://facebook.com/jogbrogzin |
| LauraAndTheCanvas | Irish artist painting nerdy fanart on canvas and drawing original characters on keychains, mugs, hoodies, T-shirts etc. Also offering original character commissions:) https://lauraandthecanvas.sumupstore.com/ https://www.facebook.com/LauraAndTheCanvas1 ^ |
| LittleSlothDoesArt | Art business selling original pieces and fan art across various mediums facebook.com/littleslothdoesart instagram.com/littleslothdoesart https://www.patreon.com/martachanart ^ |
| Melty Icecream Plushies | Handmade plushies, things like skeleton horses, Egyptian gods, Cthulhu etc. https://www.instagram.com/icecream.melty/ |
| MeMyselfAndMisha | Hey guys! I sell shadow boxes and dioramas of popular video games and anime. This year for Gaelcon I am hoping to have some more products based more around table top gaming such as my artwork engraved into dice trays etc. My products are all handmade and my artwork is all handdrawn by me (with the exception of some of my retro shadow boxes where I’ve used in game assets). www.MeMyselfAndMisha.com https://www.facebook.com/MeMyselfAndMisha ^ |
| MorayahPaper | Artist, graphic designer and illustrator who makes and sells art prints, tabletop gaming accessories and books, necklaces, zines, stationery, lanyards, tote bags keyrings and more. https://www.unasamgallagher.com/gallery/ https://www.instagram.com/morayahpaper?igsh=YjRrejk4YWdtZmI= |
| Mountain Gremlin Games | Tabletop Games Shop – www.mountaingremlingames.com ^ |
| Plasticraic gaming | Plasticraic Gaming is dedicated to the Growth of Tabletop gaming in Ireland and specifically the growth of the Battletech community. plasticraicgaming.sumupstore.com https://www.facebook.com/share/EnbQKKexJmQFmfvR/ ^ |
| The Blue Bodega | Leeann Hamilton is a tired veteran Creator of Things who can be historically found throughout the Irish comics scene, or the last 19 years of it. Hamilton is responsible for creating self-published work like Kitteenies, and being an appearing artist within Kickstarter-funded anthologies, and appearing sporadically at Comic conventions. Her work also goes international, via illustrating podcast covers for retro game review site Retronauts, art cards for Print Run Books (the publication wing of Limited Run Games), and being a guest artist on webcomic Merry Hell. (She debuted at Comiket last December in a Taito game-themed art doujinshi, which is as close to being published in Japan as she’ll get.) http://leeann-hamilton.sumupstore.com instagram.com/peannlui |
| Top Dog Tables | Custom made board game tables. http://topdogtables.com/ https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61565493056565 ^ |
| Witch Hunt | Witch Hunt’s best selling products include TTRPG and fantasy-themed neckties, cufflinks, tie bars and jewellery for the aesthetically-conscious gamer. https://witchhuntstore.com https://www.facebook.com/witchhuntstore ^ |
Wargames – SOLD OUT
We have confirmed Warhammer 40K and Lord of the Rings Wargaming events running for the weekend – both are SOLD OUT as of 15/09/2024. If you can’t compete, we’d love to see you come along to support the competitors.
The 40k Rule Pack for the convention is available here (and as a PDF)
Panels!
We will be hosting talks and workshops throughout the convention, We can’t confirm any details on this just yet, for reasons.
Kids!
We have been working on a host of activities for our younger gamers but I am pleased to confirm
Fingal Community Gaming will be offerring specially written D&D games for 8-12 year olds and 13-17 year olds both in the main hall and in a dedicated sensory friendly rpg room dedicated to their activity. (Room 17). A separate quiet room, Room 19 is also available.
The plan is that the kids will pick characters to play in games, then draw those characters during their workshops.
Please note all children must be accompanied by a parent or guardian throughout the event.
Sessions will be on Saturday and Sunday, at 12-1.30, and 2.30-4
You can book with them at the Games Desk, in the Redwood Foyer, after the Admission Desk.
Special Events
Charity Auction is on Sunday Evening and to remind us all why we do this Autism Assistance Dogs will be at Gaelcon on Sunday 27th at 1pm.
Charity Auction: The IGA Charity Auction at Gaelcon each year is a major highlight and focus of the event. Running since the late 90s, this auction has raised 100s of thousands of euro for children’s charities and was a part of the reason for the Diana Jones Award committee 2006 annual award for Excellence in Gaming was given to Irish Game Convention Charity Auctions. The auction runs on Sunday night and features a range of rare, collectable, used and unusable gaming related items donated from around the world.
We are delighted to announce that our Charity Partners for the IGA Charity Auction in 2024 are Autism Assistance Dogs and BeLongTo.
This year IGA pledge to donate 60% of the money raised in this year’s auction to Autism Assistance Dogs and 40% to BeLongTo, up to a total of €15,000 combined. Anything raised above €15,000 will be kept in a fund for any charities that might be approved during the year that could benefit from emergency funds.
If you would like to nominate a charity to the IGA please email charity@iga.ie with the name of the charity, outlining what they do and the reasons for nominating the charity. Any nominations will be brought to the IGA Executive Committee for discussion and then to the general IGA membership for further discussion and final approval
Appropriate charities shall be those deemed to improve the quality of life for disabled, ill or disadvantaged children.
This year the IGA Charity Auction will be held on Sunday, 27th October 2024 and will be hosted by Brian Nisbet
If you would like to donate a lot to the auction please email Zoe Thompson, IGA Charity Officer at charity@iga.ie.
Pub Quiz
Quiz will be on Saturday evening. Graham Turner will be quizmaster.
Contests and other evens:
BattleTech:
BattleTech returns to Gaelcon for a full weekend of unique and exciting games and other events in the Gaelcon main hall. As the game celebrates its 40th anniversary it moves from strength to strength on the back of the recent wildly successful Kickstarter campaign, which finished the funding period as the 20th biggest campaign on the platform to date. Whether you’re new to the game or a veteran player we aim to provide a fun experience!
All Weekend: Breakout tutorial games
Members of our team will be free all weekend to bring people through the game mechanics and play small beginner games, just ask us if you’re interested in checking it out!
Saturday and Sunday: Painting Competition in association with Plasticraic games
After the success of last year’s painting competitions, we’re doing it again! Bring your painted Battletech miniatures to Gaelcon on Saturday or Sunday, and the winner will be selected by our judges on Sunday afternoon. Full rules are available here
Saturday: Free for All
It is the year 3145, fighting around Terra has intensified with almost every Successor State laying claims to the worlds the Republic has abandoned. A DropShip carrying vital supplies has been shot down, and every side in a brutal battle has sent out a force to capture what they can from the crash site..
Game will start around 10.30. Each player brings a force of 3,500 BV of mechs and 96 Support points which may be vehicles, infantry, artillery or air assets. Minefields and Emplacements are not selectable. Use the V2 playtest support rules and asset cards here. Sample forces will be available for players who do not have their own ones. Objectives will be revealed on the day.
Sunday: Grand Melee
When a Trial of Bloodright is called, 31 of the candidates are chosen by the members of the Bloodhouse, but the last person is picked by one of the most grueling fights a Clan Warrior can face: The Grand Melee. Every Warrior who wants to can enter to try and defeat all other comers in an attempt to win a chance at the ultimate prize: a Bloodname. It is almost unheard of for a Warrior who makes it through the melee to succeed at the other Bloodright battles, but it never stops them trying.
The grand melee will be running in morning and afternoon sessions on Sunday. Players will be welcome to join at any time. All materials for play will be provided. Players will draw a pre-generated mech when they join the game, and when they are destroyed they may draw a new unit if they wish to continue the game.
Monday: Alpha Strike
Alpha Strike is the fast and brutal miniatures game set in the BattleTech universe, allowing for larger, more elaborate battles than a regular game of BattleTech. We’ll be showing it off to full effect with a large-scale game!
Game will start around 10.30. All materials for play will be provided. Players will be divided between the two pre-generated forces for the battle. Players will be welcome to join at any time
Painting Demo:
The Gaelcon Paint & Take returns after its popular debut last year.
This FREE activity offers a relaxed space for everyone to chill and paint miniatures.
All materials are provided, and participants can keep the miniatures they paint.
Nick Carroll, last year’s Spirit of Gaelcon recipient and presenter of Gray Primer on YouTube returns to host the event. Additional painting coaches are available on Saturday and Sunday, including Rory Priest from Stepping Between Games.
Eire Hobbies from Dundalk have provided us with paint brushes and a selection of Games Workshop and Archon miniatures. The paints are supplied by Trans Atlantis Games from the US. They’ve sent several starter sets of Two Thin Coats paint, made famous by The Duncan Rhodes Painting Academy.
The quality of paint jobs last year was so high, that we’d like to celebrate with the 2024 Paint & Take Painting Competition. Our judges will decide on the best-painted miniatures in the following categories:
- The best fantasy miniature painted at the Paint & Take.
- The best sci-fi miniature painted at the Paint & Take.
There will be trophies for the top three in each category, and a few surprises too.
There is a minimum charity donation of €3 per competition entry, and entry is completely optional.
While the Paint & Take is free, we encourage participants to support the Gaelcon charities, and we will have donation instructions at the painting tables.
The Paint & Take runs from 9 am to 5 pm on Saturday and Sunday.
See you there!
Panel Events:
Divergent and Dragons
This isn’t D&D, this is ADHD&D!
Following a run of sell-out shows in Dublin the newest, nerdiest, neuro-diverse-iest live comedy show comes to Gaelcon!
Watch as three ADHD having stand up comedians (Brian, Allie, and Stephen) face down not only the dangers of dungeons and/ or dragons, but also, the real test… simple math and basic rules!
The Divergent and Dragons Crew:
Meet the DM, the ringmaster of this circus of Squirrels, Brian Guilfoyle! He landed on the Irish comedy scene in 2022 with a bang, and he’s been banging non stop since then. Finishing third at last year’s Best New Act Competition in the Bray Comedy Festival, Brian has been up and down the country, sharing stages with the likes of Karl Spain, Martin Angolo, Danny O’Brien, Jarlath Regan and Aideen McQueen!
Stephen Robert-Walters is one of the longest names in Irish comedy. A voice actor by day, a comedian by night, Stephen will do anything in his power to avoid an honest day’s work. Performing throughout Ireland, the UK and even the US, Stephen has shared the stage with some heavyweight names on the comedy circuit such as Anna Clifford, Edwin Sammon, Eric Lalor, Olaf Falafel, and the legendary Mark Thomas.
Allie O’Rourke has performed across Ireland, the UK and the USA pedalling her brand of Girl Dick Energy. She has graced comedy stages such as Whelans, The Comedy Crunch and Angel Comedy as well as festivals such as Knockanstockan, Quarter Block Party, Love Sensation and The Dublin Fringe. She is the cofounder of the Hysteria comedy network, producer and 1/3 of The Post Performance Pints Podcast and the resident MC and founder of Token Straight. Allie is a hilarious and eye opening middle finger to a world that doesn’t want trans people to exist.
Celebrity GM
[Details to be confirmed]
Until then head over to: https://iga.ie/gaelcon/gaelcon-tickets/ to sign up for the weekend memberships now!
By the way if you’d like to help us make the weekend great by donating a few hours of your time to help head over to https://iga.ie/gaelcon/volunteering/ and fill out the form there.