Date: Saturday 17th June 2023.
Venue: Edmund Rice Youth & Community Multiplex on Manor Street, Waterford, Ireland
Admission: €12 without accommodation or €40 including use of campsite facilities
Starts at: 11am
Finishes at: 6:30-7pm
Hosted by: Eoin Jackson
Games to be played: 7 (four 9 rounders plus three 15 rounders)

The Emerald Isle’s evergreen event is back on the FOCAL calendar for 2023! Host Eoin is welcoming us all back to Waterford on 17th June 2023, just one week after our Dublin event the prior Saturday.

THE IRISH BONANZA.
This year there are more Irish co-events than ever before! The season kicked off with Jessamine O’Connor’s CO:MON! in Monasteraden, Co. Sligo on April 15th. Then we have the bonanza itself. Recent TV octochamp, Eddy Byrne, will be running Co:Dub on June 10th, followed by Co:Wat exactly one week later on the 17th. The idea behind scheduling these two events so close to one another was to accommodate anyone travelling from the UK who might want to make a holiday of it. Come for Co:Dub, get to do the touristy stuff, and stay on for Co:Wat. A Summer get-away bookended by Co-events in two of Ireland’s major cities.

(For UK visitors who are coming to both events, get in touch if you are stuck for accommodation in the week between the two events, and Eoin will see what he can do for you.)

Who can come?

Anyone at all! Having an interest in anagramming, word games, or puzzles would certainly make it more fun for you, but that is not a requirement. The event caters for all abilities. Some players will be very skilled, but many will be beginners. There will be prizes on offer at each ability level… so whether you are expert, intermediate or novice, there is a chance of coming away with a prize.

Where is it?
The event will be held in the Edmund Rice Youth & Community Multiplex on Manor Street, Waterford, Ireland. (At the heart of the sunny South East. :)) This new venue has never been used for Co:Wat before, but it may prove more convenient for some as it is right in the heart of Waterford city, with parking available on site, and dead handy for food, nightlife and accommodation options.

How will it work?

It kicks off at 11am, and will be conducted using the Bristol-style classroom format. Everyone gets to see the same sets of letters and numbers, and to play them at the same time. Each person will have a direct opponent assigned. These match-ups will be drawn at random just before the start of each game. Everyone is guaranteed 7 games during the day. The results of the early matches (four 9Rers) will determine the composition of the different quarter final groupings. After lunch we play the QFs SFs and finals for each grouping of 8 players. These matches will be 15Rers. The top 8 (sorted by number of wins, then number of points) will contest the quarter final group from which the event winner will come. The final game to determine the event winner will be the only game that won’t be done in the classroom-style setting. It will be a stand-alone match, and everyone will be welcome to stick around and spectate if they so wish.

After dinner, we’ll stroll downtown to a nearby pub for to relax and enjoy some banter, pub games and undoubtedly some singing!

How much to enter?
Once again the aim is to make this as cheap as possible while still covering costs. This year there are two price plans:-

~PLAN #1 [FULL PACKAGE]:- €40 …includes the event and access to a camp site. (Also, lifts to and from the venue will be provided.)

~PLAN #2 [EVENT ONLY]:- €12 …includes the event only. (Lunch won’t be provided this year, as we have no access to a kitchen, and there are zillions of nearby food options.)

I would expect that many of those travelling to Waterford for this would need accommodation. Some years we can provide decent dormitory accommodation very cheaply, but this year we can offer a camp-site. We will provide a few tents. We can guarantee 12 spaces in our tents. You will need to bring your own sleeping bag, air bed, pillow etc. (There is plenty of space in the campsite. For your €40 you are getting 2 nights access to a camp site specially kitted out for Co:Wat guests (with toilet / basic kitchen facilities), the event, & breakfast on Saturday and Sunday.

Booking Details
We can only guarantee a place in our tents to the first 12 people who apply, and need a place to sleep, thereafter, you’d need to bring and pitch your own tent, or sort out your own accommodation in a local hotel or B&B.

To book your place at Co:Wat?! send the payment to Eoin Jackson via paypal at the address ayum@live.ie. (please remember to select ‘payment to friends & family’) Alternatively you can pay on the day. (Payments on the day cannot be done by card.)

To book your place at Co:Wat?! send the payment to Eoin Jackson via paypal at the address ayum@live.ie. (please remember to select ‘payment to friends & family’) Alternatively make out a cheque to Eoin Jackson, address available on request, or you can pay on the day (cash only in this case).

FLIGHTS, TRAVEL, etc.
If you are coming from overseas, the best options are to fly into Cork or Dublin. Both of these are approx a 90min drive from Waterford. Bus and train would be available to the city, and we can arrange a lift to the venue from there (for free, obviously). For anyone who would rather take the Ferry. There are regular sailings into Rosslare harbour from Pembroke and Fishguard in Wales. (Rosslare is a 60min drive from Dunmore East.)
For anyone travelling within Ireland, if you can make it to Waterford, we can provide a lift to the venue for you. If you are using Sat Nav, the Eircode is X91TY8N.

For other enquiries, please contact FOCAL and we will be happy to assist: focalcountdown@gmail.com

Attending or organising a FOCAL event is subject to the FOCAL Code of Conduct.

Page last updated 08/05/23.