Chrons Dublin and Belfast cluster meet -2019

[chrispenycate]

Just a comment - if things are being organised I will be there, and ready to chip in - would enjoy being involved (even if I haven't yet got involved with Titancon, since they couldn't handle credit cards at Harrogate). If I haven't reacted before this on this it's because I'm not that gifted in this sort of organisation.

 

[Ursa major]

Give or take hotels and flights/ferries/canoes/coracles/whatever, I should be there, so consider me available to "chip in" (whatever that might mean...).

 

[Juliana]

We should probably make a list of those of us who are confirmed and who want to share accommodation... (Me!)
Since hotels and all that go up soon, right?

 

[Jo Zebedee]

We should probably make a list of those of us who are confirmed and who want to share accommodation... (Me!)
Since hotels and all that go up soon, right?

Absolutely! Great minds think alike. I think so far we have:

Me, Abernovo, Juliana, Millymollymo, Ursa and Chrispy. Any other takers? I'll leave the request up for a day or two and then have a search and see what's out there.

In terms of Belfast - I genuinely wouldn't worry and, actually, I'd look at the con hotel first as they secured a good deal there. But accomodation is cheaper and there is plenty not to worrying at this stage. But I can also search up there.
If anyone is interested - the writing retreat I stayed in is about half an hour from Belfast (by road) and is very good value. Might be a chance to do some writing too!

 

[Ursa major]

I prefer, when it's available, staying in the Con hotel: no need to worry about the weather, or leaving** something in the room that I need to have with me, or wondering what one might do if one feels under the weather.

Obviously, in the case of Dublin, there isn't a "con hotel", but there are some hotels not too far away (and, as I may have mentioned before, this would be my first "overseas" holiday since the mid 1980s, so I'm not too bothered about hotel costs).


** - I've always been a bit absent minded.

 

[Juliana]

Me, Abernovo, Juliana, Millymollymo, Ursa and Chrispy. Any other takers? I'll leave the request up for a day or two and then have a search and see what's out there.

It'll be like a parallel Chrons con.

In terms of Belfast - I genuinely wouldn't worry and, actually, I'd look at the con hotel first as they secured a good deal there. But accomodation is cheaper and there is plenty not to worrying at this stage.

Ok, will do that. I guess I'll also have time to kill between the two cons, but I might just head up to Belfast and spend the whole week there. Do some touristing and some writing!

I prefer, when it's available, staying in the Con hotel: no need to worry about the weather, or leaving** something in the room that I need to have with me, or wondering what one might do if one feels under the weather.

The only SFF con I've been to is Boskone, and I always stay in the con hotel. Dublin will be different as they don't have one, but it will also be fun because we'll basically have our own mini-con going on at the same time...

 

[Jo Zebedee]

Obviously I'm biased. But everyone in the world has visited Dublin. It's so passe. Belfast is the new cool and up there in the best cities to visit. (Refrains from making jokes about not blowing people up anymore. Pauses. Hell, that's half the appeal of the place - the Black Taxi* drivers make a fortune from it!)

*Throughout the Troubles, black taxis were one of the best ways to get in and out of the estates. They take a small fare - close to the bus fare - and about eight passengers and aren't bookable, but hailable. For the last lot of years they run a very enterprising side business of taking tourists on tours around the murals** and the trouble spots. They even take people to kiss the peace wall*** (Give me strength. )

**All of Northern Ireland is famed for its political murals, with Belfast and Derry - a couple of hours away, in a very nice train journey - being particularly well known. Some of them have been replaced these days with less militant versions - George Best, for instance, has one in East Belfast, and there is one for the Titanic at the end of Dee Street, where the shipyard is accessed from - but some remain pretty nationalistic/unionist in nature. But they are worth having a look at - the art work is fabulous in some of them.

*** The peace wall (which I had in a crumbled heap in Inish Carraig) runs between the interface estates in Belfast (the whole city has areas of different religions beside each other, often with little demarcation - you'll know by the flags or the colour of the kerbs the allegiance of some of the estates!). It's a very, very large wall, not pretty, and gave peace by essentially keeping people apart. There is no indication of when, if ever, we'll lose it.

 

[Jo Zebedee]

Would something like this be out of the question? Generator Hostel Dublin: Book shared or private rooms at our hostels

 

[Juliana]

Would something like this be out of the question?

I'm the least picky person possible, so I would be fine with that — save us some money to eat out, etc. But because I'm not picky, I'll leave it up to others to say what they think.

 

[Jo Zebedee]

I'm the least picky person possible, so I would be fine with that — save us some money to eat out, etc. But because I'm not picky, I'll leave it up to others to say what they think.

I’m just getting an idea of what people like. We can go central but will need to give on the accommodation level - or we can go out of the city a little and maybe pick up somewhere private

 

[Abernovo]

That hotel/hostel looks perfect, Jo. And it's close to Jameson's distillery - my interest is purely professional, of course.
There's only a couple of days between the two cons, but a bit of sightseeing would appeal to me.

I am up for this. I've been struggling recently, with stuff(tm), to the point of thinking about backing out, but I'm not going to. To that end, I'm off up to Glasgow in two weeks, to fake social ability. So, consider me ready to join the 'parallel Chrons con'.

 

[Jo Zebedee]

That hotel/hostel looks perfect, Jo. And it's close to Jameson's distillery - my interest is purely professional, of course.
There's only a couple of days between the two cons, but a bit of sightseeing would appeal to me.

I am up for this. I've been struggling recently, with stuff(tm), to the point of thinking about backing out, but I'm not going to. To that end, I'm off up to Glasgow in two weeks, to fake social ability. So, consider me ready to join the 'parallel Chrons con'.

No backing out. We love you and I can’t wait to see you xxx

 

[williamjm]

Would something like this be out of the question? Generator Hostel Dublin: Book shared or private rooms at our hostels

I think I said earlier in the thread that I was going to Dublin last month, this is where we were staying. It was mainly chosen because we were only booking a couple of months beforehand and most other Dublin accommodation was ridiculously priced.

I'd say it's a decent budget option. The rooms were basic but perfectly adequate. At times it was a bit noisy, there was a building site across the road who seemed to start drilling about 8am (hopefully they might have finished by next year), and my friends who were staying in another part of the hostel had a noisy stag party on either side of them one night - which is probably always a risk in a Dublin hostel.

The location was quite good, it's probably about 15 minutes away from the WorldCon venue via the Luas tramline which stops just round the corner from the hostel, and the trams will also take you into the city centre.

While I was there I went to see an event Neil Gaiman was doing, which happened to be in the WorldCon venue. It was in a large auditorium which I assume they'll use for big events like the Hugo Awards, we thought the charging points for every seat might be popular with attendees. It seems like a nice venue, although it was noticeably smaller than the venues for the two WorldCons I've been to before.

 

[Jo Zebedee]

I think I said earlier in the thread that I was going to Dublin last month, this is where we were staying. It was mainly chosen because we were only booking a couple of months beforehand and most other Dublin accommodation was ridiculously priced.

I'd say it's a decent budget option. The rooms were basic but perfectly adequate. At times it was a bit noisy, there was a building site across the road who seemed to start drilling about 8am (hopefully they might have finished by next year), and my friends who were staying in another part of the hostel had a noisy stag party on either side of them one night - which is probably always a risk in a Dublin hostel.

The location was quite good, it's probably about 15 minutes away from the WorldCon venue via the Luas tramline which stops just round the corner from the hostel, and the trams will also take you into the city centre.

While I was there I went to see an event Neil Gaiman was doing, which happened to be in the WorldCon venue. It was in a large auditorium which I assume they'll use for big events like the Hugo Awards, we thought the charging points for every seat might be popular with attendees. It seems like a nice venue, although it was noticeably smaller than the venues for the two WorldCons I've been to before.

Thank you! Good info to know

 

[millymollymo]

Looks a lot like the YHA places here, fine, clean, tidy.

 

[Jo Zebedee]

Still to find time to progress accommodation further but!

Worldcon 76 is in a furore over their programming - too little diversity, too few up and coming writers etc. I know Dublin is hoping to bring about a wide convention and if anyone is coming over and has stuff out/specialisms it’d be worth applying on the website for a place. Nothing might come of it but why not try?

 

[Juliana]

I know Dublin is hoping to bring about a wide convention and if anyone is coming over and has stuff out/specialisms it’d be worth applying on the website for a place.

Erin Underwood, who organizes my 'local' con, Boskone, is on the programs committee for Dublin, and she's always been great at mixing established with new (which explains how I got onto Boskone panels 2 years in a row!). So fingers crossed for some nice diversity!

 

[nixie]

If I can make it, I'll only be able to do one. Belfast looks to be favourite.

 

[reiver33]

I might come to Belfast, it’s about the only convention I can reach directly from SW Scotland using reasonable public transport

 

[Jo Zebedee]

I might come to Belfast, it’s about the only convention I can reach directly from SW Scotland using reasonable public transport

That would be lovely! Yeah - Stenaline go from Cairnryan into Belfast