User:TheChrisD/Eirtakon

Eirtakon is an annual three-day anime convention held in Dublin, Ireland. The convention began in 2005 and was the first anime convention to be held in the Republic of Ireland, a few months after Tomo-Dachi was first held in Derry, Northern Ireland. The event is run every year in conjunction with Dublin City University's Anime & Manga Society.

Name
The name Eirtakon is derived from the word Eirtaku, a portmanteau of Éire and otaku, originally used as the title of an Irish anime forum. Eirtakon's founders John Doyle and Ross Duggan married the subculture phrase Eirtaku with the naming scheme generally employed by American anime conventions (as in Otakon), resulting in the name Eirtakon.

Location
For the first five years, the convention was held in the main hall of The Hub, DCU, as well as expanding to ancillary buildings nearby. Traders of anime, manga, games, and related merchandise, as well as budding artists and animators have stalls at Eirtakon each year, and are one of the main driving forces behind the convention's popularity.

In 2010, the event was moved to The Helix, one of the largest purpose-built convention spaces in the country, owing to the convention outgrowing the capacity available inside The Hub.

For 2013, Eirtakon moved to the Croke Park Conference Centre.

Mascot
Eirtakon's official mascot is Lori, a green-haired girl designed by artist Swissy. She has undergone a continual evolution since the first Eirtakon in 2005 and is the subject of many fan drawings which often cover the venue.

Awards
On the 31st March 2010, Eirtakon 2009 won the Best Society Event award during the annual Dublin City University Clubs & Socities awards, and represented DCU in the Best Event category at the Board of Irish College Societies national awards that year.