CHIMERA CON ROAD TRIP.

Recently, Arthur and I spent a most enjoyable weekend on a grognard road trip. We travelled to Dublin to attend Chimera Con. Chimera con is a day long board war-game convention, with a focus on the larger, longer and more complex war games. This event is designed to create the critical mass of players, time and table space, to make these games happen. The convention included experienced game facilitators, tutorials for new players and a free play area for pickup or shorter games.

The trip started on the Friday when we hooked up with gaming buddy Al, who happened to be in Dublin for the weekend, for a game of Triumph and Tragedy. This game went the full term, with a Western Allied hegemony victory eked out in a very tight affair. The Allies (played by moi) remained at peace while the Russians (played by Arthur) and Germans (played by Al) got involved in a costly war in the Balkans, triggered by the ever aggressive "Reds", who got over zealous following early military success’s. Will he never learn? .The night was finished off with a few beers and the excellent card game "Battle Line" as the perfect filler, a new version has been developed with a medieval theme.

On the Saturday we started early and made the short trip to the Teachers Club in Parnell Square where Chimera con was being held. We joined thirty eight fellow grognards for a day’s gaming, attendees were mostly Irish with a few brothers in attendance from Poland and Italy. A range of war games were played on the day including …..

 ASL.

 The Longest Day.

 The Longest Day.

Here I Stand. 

 Here I Stand.

 It Never Snows.

 It Never Snows.

Triumph and Tragedy.

Struggle of Empires.

The day was closed out with a few well needed pints in the clubs bar with organiser Rob and fellow attendees. This was a chance to do a little post game analysis and talk all things wargaming.  A BIG thank you to Rob, who organised the event and was the driving force behind the whole endeavour. All in all it was a wonderful opportunity to network with fellow hobbyists from across the island of Ireland. Hopefully this is the first of what will become an annual event in the Irish wargame calendar.

On the way home on Sunday we visited Glasnevin cemetery. The cemetery contains historically notable monuments and the graves of many of Ireland's most prominent national figures. These include Michael Collins, Daniel O’Connell, Parnell, De Valera, O’Donovan Rossa, Kevin Barry and Roger Casement, to name but a few. Arthur remarked how ironic it was that some of those who were bitter rivals and enemies in life now lay a few feet apart united, neighbours in death.

Tower, Glasnevin Cemetery.

Tree lined avenue Glasnevin Cemetery.

The final event on the trip was a visit to the Irish Military Museum outside Ardee in County Meath. The site covers 5000 square feet of floor space and recreates examples of trenches from the First World War. The Museum also houses a large collection of WW2 Allied and Axis vehicles and deactivated weapons. By good fortune we happened to visit the museum on its annual open day weekend so found a large number of military vehicle enthusiast’s and reenactors in attendance.

 Comrades pass the vodka.

Pak 40. 

Weapons and uniforms.

 Armoured Car-Desert Rats, last seen service in First Gulf War.

WWII reenactors.

 Wild Geese - Vietnam reenactors.

Bray opens up with the Vickers.

A most enjoyable excursion. Now it's time for a good sleep, a welcome return to some proper food and planning how to inform the wife that the Qcon road trip takes place next month. Ear plugs any one!

FLAT EARTH GAMES GROUP.

Fare yee well Enniskillen.

Last Saturday I bid farewell to Fermanagh and headed to Sligo for the day. I was seen off by a pair of ducks who happen upon my departure. The reason for the trip was to attend the "Flat Earth Gaming Clubs" meetup at the Sligo City Hotel.The event was well attended with over twenty five gamers participating in a range of miniature table top, card and board games.

Sligo City meet up.

During the day I managed to play Skull, Maneuver, Samurai - the card game, Eldritch Horror, Ingenious, Tsuro, Shadowrun-Cross Fire and Hive. As always at such events it is the people who make it and it was wonderful to play with Nathaniel, Mairead, John and Dave. I felt sorry for Mairead, who spent 4 hours playing a game of Eldritch Horror which we eventually decided to call it quits on, poor Mairead then had to go to work and a night shift at that! Kudos to John, who was introducing us to the game, for the stamina shown in teaching what turned out to be a marathon game session.

Eldritch Horror.

Mairead and Nathaniel.

John the Eldritch Horror teacher.

A special thanks must go to Wayne O'Connor the co-ordinator who organises and facilitates the event. A most enjoyable day all round.

A SALUTE TO WATERLOO.

A SALUTE TO WATERLOO.

 Napoleon is reputed to have commented: 
“That regiment with castles on their caps composes of the most obstinate mules I ever saw; they don’t know when they are beaten.”

The Duke of Wellington paid tribute to the ‘Skins’ saying: 
“They saved the centre of my line at Waterloo.”

I recorded the short video above of the "27th Regiment of Foot" an Irish Arms re-enactment group.The video was taken at Enniskillen Castle Museum while attending "A Salute to Waterloo - Honouring the Inniskillings". The occasion was the flagship commemorative event by the Inniskillings Museum for the bicentenary of the Battle of Waterloo and honoured the pivotal role of both the 27th (Inniskilling) Regiment of Foot and the 6th (Inniskilling) Dragoon Guards at this epic battle which marked a turning point in European history.

27th Regiment of Foot.

While there I was also lucky enough to attend a short lecture by the excellent Peter Molloy entitled "Two Enniskillen Regiments at Waterloo". Peter detailed the role played by the 7th Regiment of Foot and the 6th Dragoon Guards at the famous battle. He brought to life the events and the horrors faced by these fellow Irishmen almost two hundred years ago.

Private McMullen being helped from the field.

The scene above shows Private McMullen who came from a weaving background in Downpatrick. He was seriously wounded after coming under French cannon fire at Waterloo. His heavily pregnant wife Elizabeth was with other wives nearby and fearing her husband dead she dashed into the midst of the bodies. She was hit on the leg with a musket ball but discovered her husband still alive and managed to drag him to the edge of the battlefield. Private McMullen lost both arms because of his injuries.The then Duke of York was told of their bravery and in a personal visit to them in hospital in Chelsea he agreed to be godfather to the infant, who was christened Frederica McMullen of Waterloo.

        

Elizabeth goes to the aid of her husband.

9 Pounder cannon.

The Allies had 127 cannon at Waterloo.

It was a wonderful Saturday afternoon spent wandering the various galleries and castle grounds with my son and his friend. Well worth a visit if you ever find yourself in the Erne county and Enniskillen.

WW1 POSTERS.

Below are a couple of five foot by three foot posters recently hung in my living area. I have included a blurb underneath the image. Love the facial expression of the French soldier.

This 1916 poster, depicts a vast French army marching underneath the Arc de Triumph in Paris. In a reference to its triumphant history, a celestial column of Napoleon's Grand Army descends from the monument on a curling cloud and join their real-life counterparts.  This poster's goal is to play on the population's patriotism in a time of war. Designed to persuade the population to loan money for the war effort, it states, "For victory subscribe to the National Loan. Subscriptions are taken in Paris and in the Provinces at the Banque Nationale de Crédit."Artist Georges Goursat (1863-1934), better known as Sem, attained a high level of success with his portrayals of Paris at the turn of the century. The caricaturist was a member of the Salon des Humoristes and an officer of the Legion of Honor.

ON LES AURA! ~1916, “Courage we shall get them”, Original French World War 1 poster (31″ x  47″) designed by Jules Abel Faivre  (1867-1945) for subscription to the  2nd national defence war fund. This image, a French soldier with gun in one hand and the other raised urging his comrades on, became one of the most famous propaganda poster images of the great war and was so popular that it was retitled and reused for the second world war by the US Army. Abel Faivre earned more individual fame by his deigns than any other French poster artist during the war and this image, above, became the visual patriotic mascot for the French.