Introducing the Gaelcon 2021 Committee

 

Dr. Mike Cosgrave – Con Director

Started out playing historical miniatures and hex and counter board war games over 40 years ago, was led astray in D&D and has being playing variations on the same character ever since. A founder of WARPS, married a gamer, bred gamers. Coached Model UN internationally, part of the Irish team who won the Diplomacy Worlds, published academic articles on games in teaching, get paid to teach at UCC on courses which include, surprisingly, a fair bit of gaming and gamification.
TL:DR old, living the life

 

Pat Maher – Operations & Treasurer

Pat has been working cons for a long time and has been involved, on and off as a volunteer or committee of Gaelcon since 1996. This will be Pat’s 7th Gaelcon as a member of the Committee, somewhere close to his 20th as a staffer, and his 30th Gaelcon. He was also there in 1989 when it all started (but missed 90, 91 and 92!). As well as Gaelcon 33, Pat is also involved in this years SMOFcon in Lisbon, Worldcon in Washington, D.C., Irish Discworld Con (Virtual) and next year’s Eastercon in the UK. Pat is also a Director of the IGA.

 

Xander Storey-Cosgrave – PR, Marketing & Outreach

Xander has been involved in cons for years. Surprisingly young to have the thousand-yard stare of a hardened conrunner, they continue their role of ‘Doing stuff about things’ for this year’s Gaelcon. When they aren’t doing Gaelcon things they lead a happy life filled with wine, cheese and creeping dread. To appease Xander or to get them to do things for you, they accept all reasonable bribes.

 

Marguerite Smith – PR

Marguerite is a compulsive helper, which meant she rolled her save against volunteering at disadvantage. Luckily, Gaelcon is both a great convention and a great community, so she’s delighted to be involved. In addition to Gaelcon, she’s also busy on the committees for Octocon (literary SFF convention), the 2021 SMOFcon (conrunners’ convention), and multiple Worldcons (DisCon III, 2021; Chicon 8, 2022; Glasgow, bid for 2024). Watch this space for what the future may hold! (It’ll hold more volunteering, that’s what it’ll hold.)

 

Bella Storey-Cosgrave – RPGs

 

Robb Dunphy – Tech

Robb has been gaming in one way or another for about 35 years. Happily married with one child and ran his own tech company supporting schools for over 7 years. He also ran starship bridge simulation for a few Gaelcons. Somehow that lead him into being a guest lecturer in University of Limerick.

Tech Coordinator – Robb was brought on with the idea of having a fully functional computer and printer setup for Gaelcon. Then human malware happened.

 

Níamh Kearney – Trade

Níamh is a convention organiser who theoretically likes (mostly board) games, though no-one can really prove the latter. She has been involved in running Dublin based conventions for the past 5 years. While this has included various committee positions Níamh can also occasionally be found just DOING things without being asked but these things are usually considered helpful, or so she says. This year she holds the venerable position of Trade Officer and hopes to ensure that everyone who wants to buy, sell or demonstrate something can do so seamlessly.

 

Rian Boyle – Special Events

 

Aidan Walsh – Webby/Design 

Aidan. Aidan Never changes.
No really, we’re not sure how this is happening, we think he subsists on the joy and energy of congoers because we’re almost certain he was dead last year and then boom, he just walked into the con with a box of T-shirts. This year he’s back again! Is he a Lich? Android? The ghost of Gaelcon past? Who knows. — (Even this bloody bio is old! – yah I can edit this)

If you got to here and don’t know Aidan. Means you’re probably very, very young or social isolation means you don’t know the t-shirt dude or you read runes and aren’t aware of modern tech, which the current situation in the world… wouldn’t be surprising. He’s been about and running multiple cons yearly since 1997. Gaelcon Director twice and a bit, Leprecon Director, and his beloved, Leamhcon as Director.

Ciara Costelloe – Volunteers/Staff

Ciara started out working trade at Gaelcon and moved to volunteer during the first virtual con. She is now attempting to help by working on the committee. Normally she works in IT as a consultant or a manager or a developer, sometimes she works for charities as whatever they need. Mostly she tried to help.

 

Zoe Thompson – Merchandise

Zoe originally staffed Gaelcon in the mid 2000’s. After several years away from the con she returned, kicking and screaming, to staff in 2019 and 2020. You think she would have learned the first time! This is her first time on the committee, as she unfortunately opened her mouth about having experience in admin and event management, too close to the wrong people, and was press-ganged!

 

Lorcan – Battletech

 

Dan Ahern – Wargames

Dan is our resident wargamer, playing 40k and Lord of the Rings between PC and board gaming. He’s represented Team Ireland for Warhammer 40,000 and is generally running around being a massive nerd at events. Keep an eye out for Dan’s plans for 2021 in-person wargaming!