Where as the other two console manufacturers showed off plenty of games and even some hardware, Nintendo appears to have been like the lethargic schoolboy rushing to put something together to show that they've done something by turning up to E3 with little more than a new Legend of Zelda game and yet another Pokémon game. I can't say I blame them however. In terms of E3 and the audience that follows it, Nintendo don't need to be too concerned about what to bring to the party. After all, their market is families and parents, not hardcore gamers and the media that serves them.

Nevertheless, gamers are still wont to buy Nintendo products for certain first-party gems among the family and child-oriented games. Knowing this, Nintendo dedicated the best part of their conference to showing off the Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. The game looks stunning and Nintendo says that players will get to roam freely around a sprawling open world.

Nintendo also spent a significant amount of time showing off the new Pokémon games: Sun and Moon for the 3DS. Compared to the most recent entries, it's hard to see how much has changed. There are new Pokémon of course, but other than that, there's a better battle camera. I'm sure there'll be many minor improvements and additions that Pokéfans will love but personally, I've left the series behind a long time ago and couldn't imagine finding the interest now to return to it.

And that was about it for Nintendo. They showed off a few other games but nothing special or wow-inducing. Aside from the Big Three however, we did get some juicy footage from the likes of EA in the forms of Battlefield 1, Titanfall 2, Mass Effect: Andromeda and FIFA 17. Battlefield 1, set during WWI looks to play about as you'd expect for a Battlefield game now at this stage with a few new additions such as large blimps that rain down terror upon the battlefield, a greater level of destruction and a dedicated Tank class.

Titanfall 2 on the other hand promises to address the issues that made the first game suffer in spite of a popular beta and slick gameplay. The trailer shown at E3 looked great. Developers, Respawn Entertainment have said that greater customization and more ways to play with new mech types and a greater focus on infantry combat should address the concerns players had with the first game. In addition to the multiplayer improvements, a single player campaign is present this time around but it has yet to be seen if it will be little more than an on-rails experience or something greater. I'm betting on the former.

Mass Effect Andromeda was further shown off with some in-engine footage of the new locations players can expect to visit once the game releases at the end of this year. Bioware have side-stepped the issues with Mass Effect 3's ending by throwing the player into a new galaxy to explore and have promised an all new story separate from that of Commander Shepard and his crew.

EA also surprised a few people by announcing a story-driven single player campaign for the new FIFA 17 featuring a young footballer rising the ranks of football stardom. For a series that has often been accused of being little more than an annual release with an updated roster and better graphics, FIFA 17's story mode could set it apart and bring new players to the already hugely popular series.

The last game to catch my attention came from Ubisoft in the form of Watch Dogs 2, which like many games shown off at E3, promises to address the concerns players had with the previous entry. Only time will tell if it truly will or if, as was the case with the first game, Watch Dogs 2 will fall flat in comparison to the hype that surrounds it.

And that's all folks! E3 had plenty more on show worth checking out so hit up your favourite gaming site to delve deeply into all the news from the convention. I hope these highlights however gave you some idea of what to expect over the next year or so of gaming.

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While Microsoft came to E3 showing off new hardware, Sony took a different approach, left Playstation Neo at home, and went all out with new game announcements and a live orchestral score underscoring the entire event. In the opinion of many gamers, their conference at E3 trumped the rest thanks to high quality games and plenty of juicy gameplay footage.

The highlight of the Sony conference and possibly the entire convention was probably the announcement of a new God of War game. The new game, simply called God of War, appears to be a reboot for the popular series. Perhaps taking influence from the popularity of the TV show Vikings, the new God of War ditches Greek mythology to place Kratos (or whatever he'll now be called) deep in Norse mythology. The footage they showed was spectacular with crisp textures, smooth gameplay, and tons of action. If any game from E3 is going to be a system seller, it's probably the new God of War.

Not content with wowing audiences with a new God of War, Sony showed off the tense, open-world zombie survival game Days Gone. The gameplay trailer is non-stop in terms of action with the intensity level turned up to 11 thanks to an endless horde of the fast and vicious zombies of the game.

The fun didn't stop there though, Sony also took the time to debut the trailer for Death Stranding, Hideo Kojima's first game post-Konami starring Norman Reedus of The Walking Dead and Boondock Saints. far from the action-packed affairs of Days Gone and God of War, Death Stranding held back on gameplay footage and opted instead to deliver an emotional and enigmatic teaser. The question remains however whether Kojima will deliver in the long run, free from the chains of the Metal Gear series that made him such a behemoth in the industry.

Then there's the reveal of Detroit: Become Human, the new brainchild of David Cage and Quantic Dream, developer of the critically-acclaimed Heavy Rain. The trailer promised a game that builds upon the formula that Cage used for Heavy Rain and with a bit of luck will mean a more meaty gaming experience than its predecessor.

Another stand-out title came from Killzone developer Guerilla Games in the form of Horizon Zero Dawn - a post-apocalyptic, open-world game set a thousand years after the fall of civilization in a world that eschews the wastelands of many post-apocalyptic worlds for one filled with verdant plants and wild animals. Also populating the world, aside from the surviving humans are the robotic creations of the bygone civilization. The game itself looks like it takes some influence from the Monster Hunter series of games with the developers making nods to both GTA and Skyrim in describing the type of game it will be.

Finally, for all you horror fans out there, Capcom revealed Resident Evil 7 which looks set to not just scare the proverbial shite out of you but very likely scare the actual shite out of you with its first-person VR focused perspective. A teaser demo for the game is now available from the Playstation Store.

Now I leave you with the live orchestra opening up the Sony conference for your listening and viewing pleasure. Come back tomorrow for highlights on the rest of E3 where we'll see the new Zelda game, Battlefield 1, Watch Dogs 2 and more!

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Every year in the Los Angeles Convention Center, the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) is held. Publishers, Developers and Hardware Manufacturers from around the world come to show of their latest games or pieces of kit for the media and gamers everywhere. For many gamers, E3 is the event of the year, eclipsing the European Gamescom convention and the Asian Tokyo Game Show. This is the event where the console manufacturers unveil their consoles and provide us all with what we can expect from them in the year to come.

E3 2016 was no different. The big three put on their shows and the biggest publishers showed off their upcoming games. Here now are my personal highlights from the convention; What stood out and what piqued my interest. Take note however that this is in no way a comprehensive collection of what E3 had to offer. There was so much on display and so much to talk about that I can only direct you towards dedicated Video Game websites for more information and a full accounting of the convention.

Microsoft

The first of the Big Three to take to the floor was Microsoft. With Sony recently having announced a new, more powerful PS4 model, codenamed "Neo", Microsoft hit back with their own upgraded Xbox One in Project Scorpio. Project Scorpio will feature a new GPU that allows for playing games at 4k resolution and an increase to 12GB of GDDR5 memory. Early reports hint at the GPU being based on a cut-down version of AMD's Vega architecture and pumping out 6 Teraflops with a clock speed somewhere around 800Mhz. The memory supposedly has a throughput of 320GB/s so the assumption is that we'll be seeing 12GB of GDDR5 on the board. All in all, Project Scorpio, when it launches, looks like it could be on track to beat the Playstation Neo in terms of raw performance. Whether Microsoft can compete with Sony on the games front however, has yet to be seen.
Oh yeah, and there's a new slimmed down model of the standard Xbox One on the way.

Speaking of games, Microsoft showed off some shiny new exclusives for XBox One. But they also revealed just how exclusive they would really be with the announcement of Play Anywhere which will ensure the release of Xbox One exclusives on PC and allow gamers to buy one of the supported games for Xbox One and play it for free on PC and vice versa. Of course, when I say PC, I really mean Windows 10 so if you're still (like me) hanging onto the great Windows 7, you'll be shit out of luck.

The exclusives they showed look promising and while stalwarts such as Gears of War 4 and Forza Horizon 3 were to be expected, they did show off a new game from the makers of Limbo called Inside that looks to be an evolution upon that game and could well be as great and introspective of an experience as it was.

Another game that looks like it could be a lot of good fun is Recore, a charming yet challenging looking platformer from Keiji Inafune, the man behind the classic Mega-Man. Being the character designer on those games certainly seems to have paid dividends for Recore and the art style and designs look superb. Meanwhile, the combat and platforming seems set to be action-packed and full of interesting ways to play.

Yet another noteworthy exclusive came from the critically-acclaimed Platinum Games in the form of Scalebound, a co-op action adventure game that I can best describe as the child of Digimon and Devil May Cry.

The last title that stood out to me, but certainly not the least was Sea of Thieves. Developed by Rare, Sea of Thieves looks to be a return to old form for the developer as they rise from lackluster Kinect titles to produce a multiplayer game about pirates that promises to be a rip-roaring favourite for online play.

Finally, Microsoft showed off their new custom controllers, that allow for gamers to professionally personalize their gamepads and stand out among their friends. The controllers will retail for $79.99 so expect the EU and UK cost to be a little higher.

Come back tomorrow for a highlights from Sony's E3 Press Conference where they showed off a child killing their first animal and a naked Norman Reedus!

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In the chaos and aftermath, nine things have been on my mind since the election of “change” where nothing changed.

1. We are reaching political crisis levels.

But only because we cannot seem to replicate the status quo. We cannot build a Dáil majority through coalitions and deal making, so we are now at panic levels. This is a waste of our first opportunity in a generation to get the most sorely needed political reform of them all: Separating the executive of government from the legislative nature of the chambers of the Oireachtas. In our heads, there is no Government without a Dáil majority. This is a product of our political culture. Breaking with this idea may be the best thing to happen to the chambers since it was formed. For decades, Government has controlled and dominated our parliament. In doing so, the Government has:

• Been allowed to lose the run of themselves.
• Stifled debate and oversight.
• Given us an executive incapable of being accountable to the Dáil.
• Facilitated the emergence of the EMC.
• Produced a generation of expendable and bored backbenchers.
• Locked opposition politicians out of any influence despite their mandate from voters.

To us, the Dáil is not the Dáil unless it is a neutered spectacle; Its votes a mere drama to rubber-stamp the pre-decisions of the top brass of cabinet, enforced by whips armed only with the threat of making the disobedient a political nobody in the political wilderness. This must stop. Lets take the opportunity to end it. Why not facilitate Fine Gael as the largest party to lead the Government in the absence of an alternative? If Kenny wants to abolish USC as promised, let him build a majority for it on the floor of Dáil Eireann. Let him talk to Fianna Fáil and/or Sinn Féin about it. If they refuse to play ball, it is on them. The record will reflect that. If Kenny is serious about reform of the 8th Amendment, let him go and talk with pro-choice parties with similar intentions. Let him talk to Sinn Féin, Soc Dems, AAA-PBP (basically everyone except Fianna Fáil and Matt McGrath).

If the opposition and smaller parties can build support for their own ideas and pass them with a legitimate majority, then why not? They were elected to legislate. Not to howl at the moon while one of the big boys had “their turn”. Is this idea any less desirable than a passive Dáil with a constant majority that allows the Taoiseach to feel like a king. This is not a perfect idea, and it is not original, but it is surely better than asking the electorate to vote for a second time. My strong suspicion is that the parties will not want to set this precedent, as it will come to haunt them when they are in a stronger position down the line. But is now not the perfect opportunity to strive for an inclusive Dáil that represents all of those given a mandate by the people last week?

2. Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil have more in common than the left of Labour has with Sinn Féin or even the Social Democrats.

There are probably more arguable differences between the Socialist Party and People Before Profit. The modern nuanced take by supporters is that Fine Gael is a more liberal party on social issues (which is fair and evidenced by votes in the last Dáil) while Fianna Fáil is closer to the centre on economic policy (also fair if you judge them by the rhetoric of their election campaign). But even this doesn't stack up in the long run when the leader of Fianna Fáil is a more liberal man than many re-elected Fine Gael backbenchers, and when a potential future leader of Fianna Fáil is more eager to downsize the state and gut public spending than many in the FG parliamentary party. The only reason these parties cannot get it together is down purely to their own arrogance and ego. That is the only thing that stops a Programme for Government. If a deal fails to materialise, it is because tribal nonsense takes precedence over the responsibility to form a stable government.

3. Regardless of party affiliation or who one voted for, the Greens having a presence – weak or strong – in Dáil Eireann is a good thing if you value the climate movement or are concerned about climate change.

Consistently breaking the hottest year on record seems to matter not in the heat of election seasons. One wonders if the entire cryosphere of the planet would have to melt away before it became a central issue in the General Election. The worst part of this is that it is not even ignorance. Ignorance, we could forgive. Yet the media and major parties accept the science – as do, likely, the majority of voters – it is just 20th on the list of Top 10 Priorities for campaigning. They are aware, just not concerned enough to take the hard steps. It is a miracle that out of this, we even have a comeback of sorts for the Green Party. We should welcome it and continue to welcome it until something is done. The system needs to be nagged. The Greens will nag until the issue is back on the agenda. It is what they do.

4. The Social Democrats had a good election.

The three leaders all traveled different journeys to their position now in national politics. Murphy and Donnelly were elected as Independents and Roisin Shorthall was elected as Labour. They have now all been re-endorsed (and handsomely so!) by their constituents as SocDems. This is the real start of their political project, the real work starts from here. To say that the Social Democrats is in its infancy is generous. It is only the embryo of a party. Founders, colours, and a logo. It is all growth from here. What happens from here is up to them. Having a joint leadership has done them no harm either. And why would it? I want to have it explained to me why the Social Democrats MUST have a single leader. Because the others do? Why would they want to be like them for the sake of it? The Social Democrats are in a position to emphasise their “team” over their individual leader in marked contrast to Fianna Fáil and Renua. I don't see why that is a bad thing unless in some distant future, they must draw straws to decide which of them becomes Taoiseach. If they are at that point, then clearly the co-leadership has done them no harm.

5. I hope this is the last time I have to really think about Renua.

As a socialist and a republican, Renua's ideology was the characterisation of everything I viscerally dislike. If the SocDem's election campaign was an endorsement of the new roles of the founding members, then Renua's was the opposite. The voters who elected Creighton, Timmons and Flanaghan as Fine Gael TD's decided not to endorse them as Renua TD's. This should be the end of the matter. Renua appeared to consciously shift themselves to the right – losing sight of both Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil until running off the political pitch all together. Their rhetoric on tax, spending, law and order was similar to that of US Republicans at their worst. The difference being that a gap largely exists for the GOP in the USA. No such gap exists here. From inside the Law Library or Dáil Eireann, even an intelligent young person like Lucinda Creighton can become out of touch and disconnected from the reality of life in modern Ireland – this was reflected in her political project. Creighton has trouble escaping herself. She evolved (like we all did) on marriage equality during the referendum. But we never lost the image of her as a conservative's conservative. This campaign - which should have been Renua's breakthrough against a stumbling, bumbling Fine Gael - did little to dispel the notion of her being too right wing for Irish politics. Three Renua seats lost. Or to quote their crime policy: Three strikes and you're out.

6. Speaking of political consolidation, AAA-PBP are among the winners.

Together, they fought a harmonious campaign and are now more or less the same size as the Labour Party in Dáil Eireann - Thirty years after Joe Higgins was expelled from that same party, formed Militant Labour and planted the roots of the modern AAA. This is vindication for a half decade of campaigning and fighting on behalf of causes and constituents. There is no group as small which makes as much noise. AAA-PBP are purists. This brings them in for a lot of criticism from other parties and those in the media (One can be too principled apparently!). But as we see from Bernie Sanders in America, it is not about winning: It is about making the weather; changing the political dialogue in a more progressive direction and mobilising and organising people on behalf of change. What has to change – and is likely a huge necessity in light of a FFG alliance – is the relationship between all the left-wing groups. The left in the Republic of Ireland has never been bigger. But it is a broad spectrum of colours and people, policies and traditions. Left-Republicans, social democrats, democratic socialists, ecologists, feminists, youth activists, independent leftists. We do not need to sing off the same hymn sheet going forward on all issues. That would be ridiculous. But the 32nd Dáil needs to see better relations and respect on all sides if we want to build an alternative to FFG. If this can be done in other countries with longer histories and more nuanced political scenes, then we can achieve this in progressive Irish politics.

The price is quite high: A generation of dominance by FFG.

7. The Media and Twitterverse need to give over bashing the Healy-Raes.

First of all, it plays exactly into their hands. We all sound like the Donnybrook set waving our finger at Killarney and Kilgarvan and Killorglin. Secondly, the people of Kerry have the democratic right to elect whoever it is they wish. And what is so unbelievably maddening about who they have chosen? The Healy-Raes are obsessed with public service and that is reflected in their vote. They work hard for their constituents and they've secured funding for a part of the country which traditionally had been neglected. There is a distinct lack of focus on the national picture, but is any person giving their number one in Dingle and Tralee in any doubt about that? Michael and Danny are commuting up to Dublin to get as big of a piece of the pie for Kerry as they can manage, at any cost. That's basically why they've been elected. Criticising them or Kerry voters for not voting as we would like them to is begrudgery and elitism. It also misses the bigger picture. The Healy Raes are a product of capitalism. In our economic system, we make individuals compete with each other and degrade themselves for the crumbs of available resources. The Healy Raes embrace that. Kerry must compete with Clare, Mayo, Limerick County, rural Galway, Sligo, Roscommon, and West Cork for the meagre investment coming from central government. They have a TD (now two) who do that exceptionally well, while degrading their reputations. The investments for Kerry won by Jackie Healy Rae from Bertie Ahern has us questioning “gombeen politics”, when it should be asked why it takes holding a Government to ransom to get these roads and schools and hospitals built in the first place. Fine Gael and Labour candidates in my area circulated leaflets with a litany of investments they were responsible for. All big sums of tax payer funded investment. All in the Carlow-Kilkenny area. All done for the purpose of re-election. All to their supposed credit. Not a single finger wagged by the chattering classes. And why? Because the difference between that and gombeen politics is flat caps and better suits.

8. Shane Ross and his Independent Alliance was a big deal last Summer.

An alliance, not a party. Not a party. Did you hear us? Not a party. Just to clarify. Ross had positioned this non-party as being ready in a position where it would be able to support a Government in return for reform on a number of key measures to do with cronyism and political procedure. They were the least talked about group in the General Election coverage, and have not even figured into the post-election arithmetic of potential deals. This is despite having more seats than the Labour Party. Yet Enda is calling Michéal and Shane Ross is left to wonder if he'll ever get a call. It wasn't supposed to be this way at all. Ross and Company are not licked yet. They were always better Dáil performers than campaigners. This was evidenced from the last five years where his technical group figured very seldom during referenda and votes, but always found their way onto Six-One or the Oireachtas Report. There is no reason why this would not be the case in the new Dáil. However, it looks like they will be making those impacts from the opposition benches as FFG carve up the resources of the state, and embarrass themselves with political appointments and judgeships for supporters, failed candidates and nephews. #newpolitics

9. There is little celebration in the annihilation of the Labour Party when it means a FFG government. That is no win for progressive politics.

As the moderate left in Irish politics falls away during our drawn out European realignment, Labour must choose whether it wants to continue to be the liberal wing of an anti-worker, anti-union conservative party – or worse still, often their messenger and hatchet man – or whether they can radicalise to fit the needs and aspirations of their working class supporters. Standing still is irrelevancy for the Irish Labour Party. Making peace and opting for co-operation with the broader left (instead of hyperbolically demonising them) to achieve shared goals is a good start. A better start would be ruling out forever a coalition again with Fine Gael or Fianna Fáil. The pressing dilemma is that that the left of their party slipped out the door at grass roots level budgets ago. Back when Gilmore was struggling his way through Foreign Affairs and Ruaírí Quinn was still at the “Sure give the Minister a chance” stage with the teachers unions. Former young, strong and left-wing Labour activists find themselves scattered among Sinn Féin, the SocDems, AAA-PBP and the Independent Groupings on many County Councils nationally. It is all well and good to get in the “new blood” and rebuild. Labour has been gushing pints of it for a while now. Their election pitch was essentially that Fine Gael were an evil party, and only Labour could truly keep them contained. This fails for a raft of reasons. Anyone who truly believed Fine Gael were as bad as Labour claimed would never vote for the party that was running to re-elect them together. Anyone who was satisfied enough with Fine Gael to want the Labour Party to go into coalition with them again would likely cut out the middle man and vote for Fine Gael. It is also an appalling way to talk about the party that is running with Labour as part of a pact. Not to mention, damaging to the feelings of Fine Gael voters who could have given Labour a second preference. It is hard to be harsh on Joan Burton's result here. Much like Michéal Martin in 2011, the damage was likely done before they were appointed to save the day. But Burton is the wrong person to take the party forward for other reasons. Her aggressive and combative style in debates has burned bridges with those who she may now need to work with to move forward. Her credibility as the leader of a radical Labour Party is diminished by her central role in Austerity Ireland. She must move on for Labour to grow. And replacing her with Alan Kelly is not the answer either.

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If you are like me, you probably feel like screaming. And if you do, I recommend you instead treat this week as a time for reflection on the way forward. You only lose when you lose the lesson – and, I hope, hoping to learn. Here are my 5 reflections on the General Election.

1. If not now, then when?

From the first debate until the final day, the narrative has narrowed around a familiar theme – the choice between the leader of Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil for Taoiseach.

Whether you agree with Sinn Féin or oppose them, they were due to be in a historically unique position of overthrowing the old order of things in Dáil Eireann. Sinn Féin stormed in the 2014 Local Elections and gained local seats in every local authority. They found themselves pushing forward into second in national polling behind Fine Gael, and that same party declared that the 2016 General Election would be a straight battle of ideologies between themselves and Sinn Féin.

This has failed to materialise.

Breaking 35 seats was not an outside possibility. Now it looks closer to being around the 20 mark. A gain of just six on 2011.

This will be a crushing disappointment to some – but is a dizzying high compared to when Mary Lou McDonald lost her European Parliament seat in 2009. A lot of this will be blamed (and not unjustifiably) on the dismissive attitude of Independent Newspapers, RTE and other media to their campaign.

But we must ask how a new progressive force can now break the mould and push aside the old order? When will there ever be a better opportunity given the high level of cynicism and public anger with not only the Government but also the main opposition party?

We live in a furious country – we all see it every day. The duopoly in this election on offer does not represent that at all. What hope is there that that will change the next time?

2. No party for new parties.

We were told for a year and a half in countless Op-eds and blogs that the cynicism and hopelessness among the public would be solve by a “new” and undefined political party. We got two high profile ones with considerable media attention.

One to the left of Labour (led by one of their former Ministers who resigned on an issue of conscience) and one to the right of Fine Gael (Led by one of their former Ministers who resigned on an issue of conscience).

Despite promising debate performances and traction for policies, both parties have a combined national support of 5%. And look set to only re-elect their respective top brass to Dáil Eireann.

Is this a failure of communication from new entities? And if dissatisfaction with the political parties cannot be solved by new entities with no legacy issues, then how will we heal the deficit in public trust in politics?

3. Red Card for Green Issues.

A friend of mine – A committed ecologist, but not a Green Party member – voiced concern in 2011 over the implosion of the Green Party after their term in Government.

His worries were that without Green voices in Dáil Eireann, that pressure on the powers that be to change and reform our environmental efforts would fall away, leaving the entire ecological movement locked outside of the Dáil.

The classic argument in response to this was two fold: The first being that progressive parties like Labour and Sinn Féin would fight the corner with greater numbers, the other being that even Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil would accept their environmental responsibilities.

This has proven conclusively to be false. My friend was right. He takes no pride in being correct.

Mentions of climate change issues in the media have fallen dramatically and the existential challenge of our lifetime has featured barely in the election campaign and in the manifestos of all the political parties.

Green issues are not the only issues that have been ignored or marginalised in this election, but where will we be by the time that changes? Will we be abandoning Cobh and Tramore? Will we be evacuating Salt Hill and Cork City?

4. Labour Pains.

Many of us on the Left will likely take great pleasure in the punishment Labour will almost certainly face when polls close. We are at a point where a return of 7 or 8 seats will be considered a great success.

Labour will be a point where it only have slightly more TD's than the AAA-PBP Alliance (who are set for an important breakthrough and consolidation of their efforts) and with likely a third of the Sinn Féin representation.

Let us not spend our time celebrating Labour's demise on the day when Fine Gael return with 60 or so seats. There is no victory for progressives when FG and FF join forces to carve up the resources of the state in a firmly right-of-centre government.

Labour faces a difficult choice when they return to Opposition. Stand still, and face almost certain irrelevancy in the eyes of their former constituency. Or move to the left and be a real alternative to the Establishment many have felt they have become unforgivably a part of.

There is no more moderate Left in European politics. Irish Labour will not be the exception. Radicalise or perish.

5. Is it our fault?

An army of us every day take to social media in all forms and voice our disdain, discomfort and dissatisfaction with the status quo. We are a mobilised and powerful generation of young people who have always been political engaged and aware. Dáil Eireann will not represent that.

Enda Kenny referred controversially to “whingers” in his own constituency. Obviously this was a gaffe, but maybe there is a deeper nuance we can take from it.

I like many on my news feed post about homelessness, inequality, injustice, deprivation, penal taxes and charges, emigration and lack of services and investment. Facebook is a fantastic way to spread ideas and organise people – especially our fellow youth - for change. But how many of us go beyond sharing and ranting into something more tangible and real?

Are we doing enough to make sure that action online translates to action on the streets? Do we need to log off and log back into our communities and parishes?

I have to change if I want to see change. I hope you'll join me in this

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Today, we are in the company of an author that has chosen the brave path of self-publication. Darrell Drake is the author of The Flameforged Saga, a fantastical adventure set in the magical world of EverAutumn. He's now set to publish his next novel - A Star-Reckoner's Lot. The tale is set in a world analogous to 6th Century Sassanian-Iran and is filled with drama, magic and adventure, with great attention paid to historical accuracy. Darrell Drake was kind enough to sit down with us and discuss his new book and the hardships of self-publication.

Declan : Thanks for taking time away from working on your novel. I know you're busy so let's get right to the questions! First up, why don't you tell us a bit about yourself.

Darrell : Thanks for having me. Well, I'm a Canadian by choice, not birth. I've never been fond of hot weather—you can only take so many clothes off. Most of my days are wiled away playing games, watching the birds I've coaxed onto my balcony (which is now covered in a fine sheet of seeds), and reading of course. But nothing comes close to sleeping. As far as I'm concerned, that's the ultimate past time.

Declan : We can both agree on that! So where does writing fit into your life? Is it something you always enjoyed?

Darrell : It's been around for a while. Reading is great, and it without it writing hardly has a spine to stand on. But I think I'm more disposed to bringing characters to life than getting caught up in someone else's. Not that I'm at all averse to it or avoid it. I'm reading A Promise of Blood at the moment, and it's truly captivating. There's something about realizing a world of your own, though: a drive to do so once it's taken shape in your head. It's nagging at times, almost frustratingly so, as if you're compelled to get it out before something catastrophic occurs.

Declan : Ah! The Powder Mage Trilogy! I'm not long after reading it myself. It's a great story, and a great example of a unique world brought to life. Using the great analogy of Brandon Sanderson - There are two types of writers in the world: There's The Gardener that plants the seeds, lets their flowers grow themselves and picks out the weeds, and then there's the Architect that plans everything in meticulous detail and only changes their plans once they're forced to do so. Would you consider yourself a Gardener or an Architect? Or if you don't identify with either, how do you go about crafting your characters and the worlds they inhabit?

Darrell : Yeah, I'm looking forward to the next two books and I haven't even finished the first. I've answered this as "archener" in the past, meaning somewhere in between. Generally, I spend a great deal of time visualizing what's going to happen before I put it to paper, but still letting characters do as they will. While that definitely had its part in A Star-Reckoner's Lot, I'd say this one was written much more from an architect's perspective. Weaving the fantastical characters into history called for a more precise approach than I'm accustomed to.

Declan : That makes for a good segue into discussing your latest novel and the approach you took with it. On the Kickstarter page for the novel, you say that you spent a significant portion of time on researching Iranian/Sassanian history and lore. Did this change your original outline much? What drew you to that particular region and history?

Darrell : Going in I mainly had the idea of the character, her lot in life, and where I wanted it to take her (in addition to some secondary roles). What Sasanian Iran, One Thousand and One Nights, and the Shahnameh did was help bring clarity to the details. The core of the story was the same, but through the history and legends I was able to forge something . . . better. Ashtadukht's character was rounded out, and her path was illuminated. This was mainly a result of the national epic, the Shahnameh. With its wonderfully fantastical account of history, it set me on the path to Sasanian Iran. Not solely through the narrative, but because I discovered the supernatural elements best suited where I wanted to take Ashtadukht's role as a star-reckoner.

Declan : Tell us a little about the story of A Star-Reckoner's Lot. Who is Ashtadukht and what makes her a star-reckoner?

Darrell : Ashtadukht's the daughter of a nobleman, a decorated general, who's been having quite a rough time of it. Her husband was murdered by a div (an otherworldly, mischievous, often evil creature). She's brooked a debilitating illness since birth. What's more, she's looked down on by her peers for her unusually unpredictable star-reckoning. A Star-Reckoner's Lot is told through glimpses of her trials as a star-reckoner, and what becomes of her after that path becomes something more.
As far as star-reckoners are concerned, that's more complicated than it might seem. I did a write up on it here , but for the sake of an answer . . . Star-reckoners are trained to attune themselves to the war of the luminaries. Up there, the planets and the stars wage endless battles, and star-reckoners are taught to redirect portion of the glory exuded from those battles to performing feats of magic. They use star-reckoning in many ways, but their prime objective if so rid the world of the divs mentioned earlier.

Declan : It sounds like Ashtadukht's world can be a dangerous place to live. What sort of experience can reader's expect from A Star Reckoner's Lot? Would you recommend it to younger readers or would the content be more suited to a mature reader?

Don't let the themes of a book, whether through maturity or unseemliness, turn you away from a good story.

Darrell : It's a grim world. Not grimdark by any means, but Ashtadukht's role as a star-reckoner inevitably takes her to some of the darker places. As servants of the lie, divs seek to spread chaos and corruption, so in her dealings with the creatures it is unavoidable. At the same time, it's regularly magical—don't mistake divs for the demons of the West, as they're much more varied in their methods.
As far as the audience is concerned, I've always thought younger readers should have unlimited access to books. But there are a few mature scenes that may classify A Star-Reckoner's Lot as unsuitable for younger readers.

Declan : I believe I'm of the same mind. Granted, I don't think that a young reader should be reading Fifty Shades ( for more reasons than just its content) but stories like Malazan, Book of the Fallen are so superbly written and insightful that the more mature content within is overshadowed by the richness of the world Erikson created.
Speaking of which, I'd mark Stephen Erikson out as an influence in my own writing with his ability to handle multiple characters and realize each one. From where and who do you draw you influence from?

Darrell : Maybe I'm a bit more liberal where books are concerned. Good or bad, let them go at it. I agree with the overall sentiment, though. Don't let the themes of a book, whether through maturity or unseemliness, turn you away from a good story.
Erikson is without question a beast. I believe it's nearly impossible to pick out any one person. We're all affected in some way by everything we've read, even if we didn't particularly care for it. I will go as far as saying Lewis Carroll is one of the first to come to mind. His imagination is wonderful, and surely seated deep in my mind. The same goes for Nabokov and Sapkowski.

Declan : They're noble influences to draw from. Nabokov has a great way of luring the reader into a story while both Sapkowski and Carroll are masters of skewing reality and making the fantastical seem commonplace. As you rightly say however, we're affected by everything we've read, so with that in mind, what's on your reading list at the moment aside from A Promise of Blood?

Darrell : Lots and lots of Pratchett. Working on Men at Arms at the moment. I put that down for Promise of Blood, but I'll get back to it afterward. I should have mentioned Pratchett in my last answer. His creativity knows no bounds. Also some academic papers relating to Sasanian Iran. I tend to follow what's new on that front through Twitter. Hoshruba was suggested during my AMA on r/fantasy, so I need to pick that up at some point.

Declan : I never heard of Hoshruba until now. A quick search has piqued my interest - the world's longest fantasy? I do like an epic!
All your novels so far have been self-published. What made you decide to go this route and how has it served you?

Darrell : While traditional publishing certainly has its benefits, I don't like the idea of kowtowing to a publisher or literary agent in hopes of being represented, much less the odds of not getting lost in the slush pile.
Self-publishing gives you so much more freedom. Unfortunately, that's at the cost of connections, clout, and acceptance by all sides of the literary community. Unless you're one of the fortunate few they've embraced, it's tough goings.

Declan : Sticking with the topic of self-publication, you've chosen to use the crowdfunding platform Kickstarter to help cover the costs to get A Star-Reckoner's Lot published. What made you decide to try it?

Darrell : A simple answer to that one. An author and game designer friend of mine who's had some success on Kickstarter convinced me.
I wasn't really leaning that way until he did.

it's a matter of having an established following beforehand. And not setting your goals too high.

Declan : How do you feel about it now? Was it the right choice? At the least, do you think it's increased your exposre?

Darrell : At this point it certainly seems like the wrong choice. I guess I overestimated the support I'd receive from a few pivotal communities. As far as exposure is concerned, it's hard to tell. Maybe. Marginally. If the current state of the campaign is any indication, then not by much.

Declan : That must be disheartening. Have you any advice for anyone else thinking of turning to kickstarter to fund projects? Is there anything you would have done differently?

Darrell : My advice would be to seed yourself in as many relevant communities as possible. I followed the suggestions of authors who ran successful Kickstarters before me, and that certainly helped, but I should've worked my way into some communities. It may sound disingenuous, but it needs to be done. And that's what I would have done differently.

Declan : I suppose it shows that crowd-funding isn't the guaranteed success that it's sometimes made out to be - the run-away successes are few and far between.

Darrell : Yeah, I think it's a matter of having an established following beforehand. And not setting your goals too high.

Declan : Nevertheless, your Kickstarter campaign isn't over yet so there's there's still time to drive it home. Here's you chance to convince our readers on pledging their support - Give us your most unmodest, unabashed sales pitch. Why should we pledge?

Darrell : Because you aren't small-minded scum who hate other natio—I mean because it's a great chance to get to learn about the rich history of a country that just happens to be topical without poring over history books. It's a bracingly tragic journey of fantasy inspired by Arabian Nights and the Shahnameh that doesn't get so caught up in its own tragedy to explore the wonder of the time or have a laugh along the way.

Declan : Finally, what's next for Darrel Drake? Anything else in the making? Can readers expect more from Ashtadukht in the future?

Darrell : While there is room for a short story here or there covering her many travels, A Star-Reckoner's Lot covers Ashtadukht's tale in its entirety. I've been so focused on getting this book research and written, then getting the Kickstarter prepared and off the ground, that I haven't really considered much of what's next beyond perhaps a short story starring Tirdad, one of the secondary characters who travels with Ashtadukht. But there's always something on the horizon whether I know it or not, and I'm sure it'll come out once I've given A Star-Reckoner's Lot its due attention.

Declan : And right you should! I'm looking forward to reading my hard-cover edition of A Star-Reckoner's Lot in the near future - Knowing your focusing all your efforts on it is comforting.
That just about wraps it up, I think. Is there anything else you'd like to add before we part ways?

Darrell : I'd just like to say thanks for having me. I hope I can get A Star-Reckoner's Lot in your hands, and the hands of anyone who'd enjoy it.

Declan : Thank you for taking the time to answer our questions. Best of luck with the remainder of the Kickstart campaign and all the best with anything else you put your pen to!

There you have it, folks! Darrell Drake, author of The Flameforged Saga and the upcoming A Star-Reckoner's Lot. I hope you enjoyed reading the interview as much as I enjoyed conducting it!

Before we go however, I'd like to ask you all to visit the Kickstarter page for A Star-Reckoner's Lot and make a pledge. It only costs you if the campaign is a success and in such an event, you'll get a copy of the finished novel and whatever else your kind donation to the project grants you. Personally, I'd recommend the EARLY BIRD CORVUS tier which nets you a hard cover copy of the book, complete with dust jacket - Just look at the sweet mock-up!
For anyone interested in learning a bit more about Sassanian-Iran, Darrel did a picture-filled write-up on it here.

Also, don't forget to like and share this interview across your social network and help Darrell become the Kickstarter success he deserves to be!

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The Drink and Draw Exhibition is now open in Billy Byrnes on John Street. The display won't be up forever though. The exhibition ends next tuesday so you only have a few more days to check out some of the best work of the group's members.

The opening night went great. The night kicked off with some live Jazz and plenty of people turned up to catch a glimpse of the work on display. The group even had a visit from Don Conroy, the man that first thaught many of us to draw as we were growing up watching The Den. In total, there are 61 works on display.

Unable to make opening night, I recently dropped into Billy Byrnes to have a gander at the member's work. It's no exaggeration to say I was blown away! The art on display is amazing and it's great to see how some of the early members have grown and improved.

Virginia Black is a South African artist and has produced many wildlife themed works in acrylics. Since founding Drink and Draw, she has branched out into using charcoal and pastels on black card. Virginia loves depicting animals and people because of the expression of emotion that can be found in the eyes.

Kevin King is a Dublin-born artist living in Kilkenny. Kevin creates stunning works full of fine detail portraying monsters, aliens, superheroes and more. He has recently has moved his focus towards recreating Irish landmarks, such as Kilkenny Castle and Kells Priory in his unique style. Viewed from afar, his work is fantastic but his use of depth and perspective draws the eye in and before you know it, the viewer has their nose against the glass examining the fine details of his works.

Ciaran Hyland is an Irish art student who has been creating art for the past three years. Ciaran likes to work in a variety of different styles and mediums and has just recently started experimenting with digital art. The art featured by him at the exhibition is some of his more realistic work.

Kersty Evans is originally from London but has been living in Kilkenny since 2006. She enjoys pencil drawings and painting in a variety of themes from landscapes and townscapes to animals and dreams. In her words: "My pictures have their own unique style, showing a place the way it should be, not always the way it is."

Patrick Neary, is a local artist that uses iron/oak gall ink (created with reference to a medieval recipe from the 14th century) to explore themes of darkness as suggested by a variety of human experiences and emotions, including death, anxiety, fear, depression and inertia.

Laura Moran is a self-thaught artist based in in kilkenny that produces works that are both personal and emotive. The pieces she has on display during the exhibition were created during significant events over the course of the past year and express the emotional impact that those events had upon her.

Sonja Horgan has been living in Ireland for 6 years where she has been working as a professional artist and art teacher. She originally hails from Novi Sad, Serbia where she graduated with a BA in Fine Arts from the Art Academy University. Sonja has been developing her style in figurative and mixed media abstract art by using vibrant mediterannean colours in her landscapes and an earthy colour pallete. Combining various martials of collage and decoupage, she likes to experiment with various textures by layering colours and various other materials into her painting to create an added 3-D impression. Her paintings are currently on show in Gallery @ no.6 on South Anne Street in Dublin.

Aimee O' Neill is an Inistioge native, now living in Kilkenny city. Aimee has a love for all things Disney and likes to use bright and vivid colours. This come across in her work in which she recreates classic Disney characters and adopts a Disney-esque style to create her own original pieces. She enjoys using coloured pencils and ink to create beautifully clean drawings but has recently started experimenting with painting where she brings her steady hand and good sense of colour to bear. The works Aimee has on display at the exhibition includes a dream-like rendition of Princess Ariel from The Little Mermaid and a psychadelic canvas painting with flowing rainbow-like colour.

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