The head of Ops, Jon O'Sullivan and I got along very well from the start.

A peaceful, demonstrative fellow, he is easy to like and easier to work with.












I do, however, regret his unfortunate choice of red shirts for all of us in Operations.  Into each sunny life a little chill rain must fall.













We had to "peace bond" a bow.

















Later, the bowoman (bow woman?) appeared with an elfin helper.  His shields needed no peace bonding.














Captain Kirk appeared with his pet tribble.
These were sold at Loncon 3.   There was a table full of these little guys, all quiescent until the dealer clapped his hands, precipitating an orgy of tribble squeals and giggles.









Our chair, Brian Nesbit tried on a hat.  We had a most informative discussion about whether he should be considered a plus sized leprechaun or a strayed firbolg.











Under certain circumstances, Jon refused to be photographed.










Misa, one of our doomed red shirts.












I have no recollection of what problem Ops solved for this charming lady, but she was sufficiently grateful to give him a hug.

This is a charming, not-too-big con.  It truly is an all Europe con.  I have met representatives from UK, France, Sweden, Poland, Ukraine so far.  There are probably more, but I have been hiding out in Ops.

I fear that I contracted what is called "con crud" at Loncon.  Trying not to spread the "joy" to other fen.  It is a sort of cross-breed between an upper respiratory infection and being drunk.  I do fear the hangover.

Eurocon/Shamrockon

     Sitting in Operations (Ops) for the second convention in two weeks.   Something, I don't know what (a cold, flu, pleurisy, pneumonia, creeping crud) grabbed me my last day in London and has hung on with commendable (for it) persistence.

      Now on my second day in lovely Dublin.   My hotel is around a quarter mile from the Con hotel.  There is a multiplicity of neat looking restaurants and pubs on the way to and from.  My nose has been titillated by the smells of cooking as I walk from place to place.


I arrived at Heathrow the day before I was scheduled to leave London.   Whatever has hold of me, obviously was interfering with my mental processes at the time.

Since I was there, I booked a room in the airport Sofitel.  The room and bath were spacious.  The breakfast was complimentary and had all kinds of ethnic foods as well as an English breakfast.

But I finally managed to get aboard the correct flight to Shannon.  I mostly slept through the journey and collapsed in my hotel when I arrived.

When I was slightly refreshed I headed for the con hotel.  Alas, none of my hotel staff knew anything about Dublin.  There may be an Irishman in the Clyde Court, if so he is most likely a guest.  Thanks be to Heaven that Dubliners are friendly.  By asking a person per block, I managed to find the Double Tree.

As I mentioned above, there are lots of eating places on the route between hotels.  There won't be time to eat at all of them.  If the decision tree didn't have enough branches, there is also a food court and floating restaurant along the canal next to Mespil Street.










HB ice cream was passing out free treats, which I had to regretfully refuse due to my delicate condition.  Aren't they cute?

One of their fathers arrived as I was chatting them up.  Neither she nor he recognized the joke based o Newton's law of inertia....   What is Irish education coming to?  Or maybe my joke just isn't that funny.




Dublin is a charming city.  I was particularly taken with the multiple chimney pots on each building.

 Katie, a fellow fan mentioned that Dublin boasts a Museum of Leprechauns.  Five of us trekked as a group across Dublin and found the museum.  It bills itself as interactive.  There are docents who accompany visitors.

Mary, our docent told several Irish legends in the appropriate venues.  She is a very good  story teller and kept us and the younger guests amused.   We gave a round of applause at the end of her second telling.











 Since leprechauns are small, there was, of course a giant's parlor.












Katie found some excellent posters for visiting Ireland.

















After the museum, we marched across this delightful bridge over the River Liffey

and adjourned to a pub where we had a fine supper and began to separate on our various ways to hotels.

Thoroughly nice day.  I can recommend Shamrockon to all as a friendly, relaxed con.