Latest news with #D&D
Irish Independent
4 days ago
- Sport
- Irish Independent
‘Masterful' Drogheda & District athletes celebrate two golds on the National stage
After months of dedicated training, the team's hard work was rewarded with two gold, five silver and three bronze medals – a remarkable tally for the club. Leading the way were Gerry O'Connor, who won the M60 400m in 1:01.82, and Mary Flanagan, who struck gold in the W65 100m, clocking 20.93sec. The silver medal winners were as follows: Yasmin Canning W50 800m, 2:44.24; Mary Kinsella W60 200m, 32.91sec & 400m, 1:17.28; Deirdre McFerran W65 200m, 34.04sec; Mary Leech W50 1500m, 5:04.51. Bronze medals went to M60 athlete Tony Corcoran (13.93sec in the 100m and 28.41sec for 200m) and Robbie Keane who completed the M45 1500m in 4:27.00. There were also season's best performances. Paul Stuart (M40) ran 1:00.06 in the 400m, Niall Donnelly (M50) posted 2:16.15 in the 800m and Kerry O'Connor (W50) earned a new outdoor PB of 3:16.16 in the same event. And at the National Outdoor League Final in Tullamore, Sophie Kinsella and Yasmin Canning collected National bronze medals as part of the Louth county ladies team. Sophie has had an incredible seaon in the 100m hurdles and 400m hurdles and club stalwart Yasmin Canning had a great 1500m. Closer to home, D&D members turned out in force for the Indaver Duleek 10K on Sunday, over a tough but rewarding course. Organised by Duleek & District AC, the race had 208 finishers and took place in near-perfect running conditions. Brian Martin and Colin Dyas led the charge for Drogheda & District, working together to secure the men's team prize. Martin crossed the line in a swift 33:46, taking first place in his category, closely followed by Dyas in 34:03. Shane Larkin added to the accolades with a strong O50 category win in 38:52. Stephen Duggan put in a solid run, clocking 39:15, while Joe Carroll had cause for celebration after earning a well-deserved PB of 45:20. Ciara O'Reilly and Pamela Howard ran together to finish in 46:34, contributing to the second-place women's team. O'Reilly took second in her category, with Howard third. Linda Bowe completed the team effort in 59:14. Other finishers included Kevin Durkin (49:06), Karl Cooney (49:39), Liam Farrell (51:28), Mike Staunton (54:34), and Robert Quaile (1:03:42), while Barney Flannery took second in his category with a time of 55:54.
Hamilton Spectator
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Hamilton Spectator
Cloak, wolf pelt and blades: Rankin Inlet sword expert takes Proust Questionnaire
Tristan Logan Quasa Duffy-Taparti is not afraid to be called a nerd. To him, that's a good thing. 'I own more swords than I ever cared to count,' Duffy-Taparti says matter-of-factly, while wearing a green cloak and wolf pelt. He walks around the streets of Rankin Inlet in his medieval outfit, making friends and 'embracing the nerd.' He has been doing it for so long that it would be more of a shock for locals if he didn't carry a sword replica on his way to the grocery store. Recently, Rankin Inlet's most visible sword expert, artist, Dungeons and Dragons master and owner of a genuine Samurai sword answered the Proust Questionnaire. What is your idea of perfect happiness? My perfect life or my perfect happiness, I suppose, is just when I am happy effortlessly. What is your greatest fear? A lack of self-control — inability to control or enact my own will. What is your greatest extravagance? Currently, probably my LARP [live action role-playing] gear. I am wearing a $200 breastplate, this sword is $200, my rings are about $300 together, my cloak is another $200 and that wolf pelt is $400. I can wear more than I make in a month. But all of my things are gonna be here by the end of the day, so it's more like an investment. What traits do you most dislike in yourself? Sometimes I'll say my apathy, when I just can't bring myself to care. I guess it's like that ADHD moment where you feel like you can't do things that you know you should be doing. What is the trait you most dislike in others? Ignorance and disrespect. When someone just dismisses others, other people's differences or other people's experiences, I immediately do not find any interest in that person. Which living person do you most admire? My mom. She raised me and I admire her dearly. But there are many people. I know everybody has faults, and I know everybody has things that they're really good at. I can admire what they're good at and admire if they persevere beyond things that they're not. What is your current state of mind? I'm in a happy place. On what occasions do you lie? I do my best not to lie unless I have to avoid discomfort. But I could also say that as a dungeon master for D&D [Dungeons & Dragons] I lie all the time, given that I tend to play characters who are duplicitous and act as people who often lie. What do you most dislike about your appearance? I could lose another 20 pounds or so. Which words or phrases do you most overuse? 'Hey, check this out.' It will probably be one up there when I show something to a friend of mine. If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be? I know being able to find motivation easier would be nice. Where would you most like to live? Anywhere I'm comfortable. I'm perfectly fine here. What is your motto? I rather be quiet than stupid. How would you like to die? I don't know if that's how I'd like to die, but I've always imagined that I'm probably gonna die doing something stupid for somebody else. Nunatsiaq News is borrowing the old Proust Questionnaire parlour game to get to know people who are in the news. If you know someone in your community who our readers should get to know by taking this questionnaire, let us know by email: editors@ . Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
The Advertiser
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Advertiser
Lightsabers, ghostbusters turn up in Hunter for Lake Mac's POP BAM!
EVER wanted to be part of an epic sci-fi battle scene? Picking up a lightsaber and ready to go, lucky Hunter residents got to learn the art of Star Wars combat at the Lake Mac POP BAM! festival. The annual popular culture festival arrived at the Hunter Sports Centre in Glendale on Saturday, July 26. Cosplayers and popular culture fanatics immerse themselves in the worlds of their favourite movies, TV shows and comics. Organiser Cathy Shay said everyone had a great time, with between 1000 and 1500 people in attendance. "We had lots of great feedback about the new venue," Ms Shay said. "There was a real buzz in the foyer, some very popular stalls, plus activities and talks, LEGO and D&D." There were also some professional cosplayers, including a woman dressed as Chewbacca, who had many in awe due to her sheer size. "The very little kids get very excited to see in real life something they've only seen on TV, like Chewbacca, and because it's so large, it takes your breath away, and the kids were just mesmerised," Ms Shay said. EVER wanted to be part of an epic sci-fi battle scene? Picking up a lightsaber and ready to go, lucky Hunter residents got to learn the art of Star Wars combat at the Lake Mac POP BAM! festival. The annual popular culture festival arrived at the Hunter Sports Centre in Glendale on Saturday, July 26. Cosplayers and popular culture fanatics immerse themselves in the worlds of their favourite movies, TV shows and comics. Organiser Cathy Shay said everyone had a great time, with between 1000 and 1500 people in attendance. "We had lots of great feedback about the new venue," Ms Shay said. "There was a real buzz in the foyer, some very popular stalls, plus activities and talks, LEGO and D&D." There were also some professional cosplayers, including a woman dressed as Chewbacca, who had many in awe due to her sheer size. "The very little kids get very excited to see in real life something they've only seen on TV, like Chewbacca, and because it's so large, it takes your breath away, and the kids were just mesmerised," Ms Shay said. EVER wanted to be part of an epic sci-fi battle scene? Picking up a lightsaber and ready to go, lucky Hunter residents got to learn the art of Star Wars combat at the Lake Mac POP BAM! festival. The annual popular culture festival arrived at the Hunter Sports Centre in Glendale on Saturday, July 26. Cosplayers and popular culture fanatics immerse themselves in the worlds of their favourite movies, TV shows and comics. Organiser Cathy Shay said everyone had a great time, with between 1000 and 1500 people in attendance. "We had lots of great feedback about the new venue," Ms Shay said. "There was a real buzz in the foyer, some very popular stalls, plus activities and talks, LEGO and D&D." There were also some professional cosplayers, including a woman dressed as Chewbacca, who had many in awe due to her sheer size. "The very little kids get very excited to see in real life something they've only seen on TV, like Chewbacca, and because it's so large, it takes your breath away, and the kids were just mesmerised," Ms Shay said. EVER wanted to be part of an epic sci-fi battle scene? Picking up a lightsaber and ready to go, lucky Hunter residents got to learn the art of Star Wars combat at the Lake Mac POP BAM! festival. The annual popular culture festival arrived at the Hunter Sports Centre in Glendale on Saturday, July 26. Cosplayers and popular culture fanatics immerse themselves in the worlds of their favourite movies, TV shows and comics. Organiser Cathy Shay said everyone had a great time, with between 1000 and 1500 people in attendance. "We had lots of great feedback about the new venue," Ms Shay said. "There was a real buzz in the foyer, some very popular stalls, plus activities and talks, LEGO and D&D." There were also some professional cosplayers, including a woman dressed as Chewbacca, who had many in awe due to her sheer size. "The very little kids get very excited to see in real life something they've only seen on TV, like Chewbacca, and because it's so large, it takes your breath away, and the kids were just mesmerised," Ms Shay said.
Gizmodo
23-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Gizmodo
‘Final Fantasy' Made Hasbro a Hell of a Lot of Gil
Hasbro's no stranger to giving credit where credit's due when a video game helps save its ass financially, having already made plenty of to-do about how the blockbuster success of Baldur's Gate 3 a few years ago provided a surge of interest in D&D. Now it's thanking a video game of a different sort: the Final Fantasy saga, as its recent highly anticipated crossover with Magic: The Gathering has helped make the most successful set of the card game made so far. According to Deadline, Hasbro CEO Chris Cox touted on an earnings call today that sales of the Final Fantasy set, released just over a month ago, helped account for a 23% surge in Magic sales in the last quarter, helping the toymaker offset a $1 billion write-down to account for ongoing tariff-induced uncertainty from retailers, leading to a flat adjusted operating profit for the quarter. 'There's more people playing Magic, and there are more people who have never played Magic who are now playing Magic, than ever before,' Cox noted. The Final Fantasy set has been a subject of controversy even with its massive success and praise for the ways Wizards of the Coast integrated references and mechanics from the legendary RPG series into the Magic format. The first of the 'Universes Beyond' crossover sets to be legal for play in Magic's standard format, before its release, Final Fantasy came to represent concerns from players that Magic was giving too much ground over to licensed crossovers instead of focusing on its original creative storytelling. The surge of interest in the set's reveal also led to a rush on pre-orders, making trying to even get your hands on cards at their suggested retail prices a challenge—especially the set's premium collector-focused booster packs, with aftermarket prices breaking over a thousand dollars at MagicCon Las Vegas for a box of cards meant to 'only' sell for $455. Now, even as player interest switches focus to the upcoming release of Edge of Eternities on August 1st, Final Fantasy packs are still tough to come by. All that controversy matters little to Hasbro's bottom line, so 'Universes Beyond' is going to be here to stay. After Edge of Eternities, the first entirely sci-fi/sci-fantasy-themed Magic set, this year will see the release of two more major crossover sets in the form of Marvel's Spider-Man in late September, and Avatar: The Last Airbender in November. And even though Edge returns to Magic's own storytelling, its mechanics seem ripe for being adapted for the arrival of some pretty hefty franchises among the stars—ones Hasbro at large is already well acquainted with. 'Coming up, we have Spider-Man, Star Wars, and Avengers: Doomsday,' Cox noted on the earnings call, referring more broadly to Hasbro's toy licenses rather than necessarily any specific plans for Magic (although we know there are indeed more Marvel sets on the way after Spider-Man). 'That alone is a pretty stacked lineup and pretty meaningful top-line growth across our Marvel portfolio.' So maybe don't be too surprised if the toymaker finds a way to oust Final Fantasy from its current throne as Magic's most popular set in the not-too-distant future. Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what's next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.
Irish Independent
22-07-2025
- Sport
- Irish Independent
Drogheda & District AC's Mary Leech runs into the record books with world best in relay race
The record-breaking feat took place on Wednesday in Lucan, where the Irish quartet clocked an astonishing 10:02.78, smashing the previous Women's 50+ record by 11.86 seconds. The long-standing record had been held by the American national team since 2019, but it now belongs to Ireland- thanks in part to the tireless work and dedication of our very own Leech. Mary wasn't the only local face contributing to this historic achievement. Fellow clubmate Yasmin Canning was a key part of the specially assembled challenge team that helped facilitate the attempt, ensuring optimal pacing and support throughout the event. The electric atmosphere in Lucan was matched only by the determination on the track, as the Irish W50 team ran a near-flawless race, showcasing not only their exceptional fitness but also remarkable team coordination. Needless to say, everyone associated with Drogheda & District AC is incredibly proud of Mary and Yasmin. Their dedication and sportsmanship continue to inspire everyone at the club and in the wider community. This new world record is a testament not only to the athletes' elite talent but also to the strength of masters athletics in Ireland. Meanwhile, there was a thrilling finish to the championship season for some of Drogheda & District AC's younger athletes, who shone brightly at the National Juvenile 'B' Championships and Relays held in Tullamore the weekend before last. The D&D contingent brought home an impressive five All-Ireland medals - one gold, two silver and two bronze - alongside several personal best performances in one of the final national meets of the season. In a display of speed, strength and determination, the athletes left their mark on the national stage. Dearbhla Johnston secured silver in the Girls U12 600m, clocking a personal best of 1:53.34, and Dani Nolan also claimed silver in the Girls U15 Shot Put, with a throw of 7.45m. ADVERTISEMENT Cian Bolton earned bronze in the Boys U12 600m, running a personal best of 1:51.06. Michael Iloduba delivered a standout performance, winning gold in the Boys U16 100m in 12.31sec, and later taking bronze in the Long Jump with a leap of 5.11m. These achievements capped off a season full of growth and promise, with the young athletes showing remarkable development across disciplines. The event in Tullamore also showcased the camaraderie, team spirit, and love of the sport that defines juvenile athletics. Coaches and supporters praised the dedication of the athletes and the joy they brought to each event. Elsewhere, despite relentless rain and slick conditions, more than 1,800 runners braved the elements on Sunday morning for the Biofreeze Irish Runner 10-Mile race, which also served as the National 10-Mile Championships. Held in Dublin's Phoenix Park, the race saw impressive performances from elite athletes and local club runners alike. The morning brought almost continuous rainfall, turning the normally fast, tree-lined route into a true test of grit and determination. With temperatures holding around 16°C, runners were spared the cold but had to contend with puddles, wet grass underfoot and reduced visibility at times. Among the standout local performances was Liam Mulligan, who placed 11th overall with a superb time of 53:47, navigating the wet course with precision and strength. Paul Smith also cracked the top 30, crossing the line in 56:15, an impressive result in national competition. Further down the field, strong efforts came from John Perkins (1:12:25), Andrea McArdle (1:15:30), and Mike Staunton (1:27:00), all showcasing admirable determination under tough race-day conditions. A total of 1,817 runners completed the race, which was a testament to both the event's popularity and the dedication of the running community. Volunteers lined the course despite the weather, and race organisers ensured safety and support were maintained throughout. With national titles on the line, the competition was fierce at the front, but as always, the real victory belonged to every runner who crossed the finish line in Phoenix Park.
