Category: News

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Back to the Pixels: Retro Computing & Gaming Day 2026

Dust off your joystick skills, prepare for the glow of a proper CRT, and join us for an afternoon of old computers, consoles and games at TOG Hackerspace.

Our Retro Computing & Gaming Day is back on Saturday 11 July, bringing together a collection of machines that have survived several decades in exhibitors’ houses, attics, sheds and increasingly full spare rooms.

Expect a mix of computers and consoles from the 1970s through to the 2000s. There will be classic home computers, old consoles, games, controllers, demos, and plenty of odd bits of technology that have been kept alive long after their manufacturers expected.

We are hoping to have everything from ZX Spectrums and early home computers to consoles, Windows XP-era machines and, most importantly, plenty of CRTs.

What to expect

  • Retro computers and consoles from the 1970s to the 2000s
  • Games, demos and hands-on play
  • A chance to chat with fellow retro computing and gaming fans
  • Proper CRT screens, complete with their unmistakable glow and occasional hum
  • A relaxed random game tournament on the day

Many of the machines will be available to try out. Please ask the exhibitor before touching anything, as some of these machines are older than many of the people attending and can be a little temperamental.

Want to exhibit?

We would love to have more people showing off their retro computers, consoles, games, peripherals and strange old technology.

If you have something you would like to bring along, get in touch through our contact form. Let us know what you would like to show, roughly how much table space you need, and whether you have any particular power or display requirements.

Event details

Date: Saturday 11 July 2026
Time: 2:00 pm to 7:00 pm
Location: TOG Hackerspace
Cost: Free, with optional donations welcome

Book your free place on Eventbrite

Pizza, chats and LAN gaming afterwards

Once Retro Computing & Gaming Day wraps up, we will head straight into our TOG open social night.

We will fire up the wood-fired pizza oven, have a chat, and set up a Quake III Arena or Unreal Tournament ’99 LAN party. Bring your own laptop if you would like to join in, as we do not have enough machines to lend out.

Come along for old hardware, strange peripherals, games from another era, pizza and some late-1990s multiplayer chaos.

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Tog at IRTS Hamfest 2026

Tog Hackerspace will be heading to Mullingar Showgrounds on Saturday 8th and Sunday 9th August for the return of the IRTS Hamfest.

After a great first year in 2025, the Irish Radio Transmitters Society is bringing the event back for another weekend of amateur radio, practical activities, camping and plenty of chances to meet people from across the hobby.

As a proud IRTS-affiliated club, Tog is delighted to be taking part again. Last year we brought soldering workshops and radio demonstrations along to the Hamfest, and spent the weekend chatting with fellow operators, makers and people who were simply curious to find out what amateur radio is all about.

It was a lovely mix of radio, electronics, projects and the social side of the hobby. There was plenty to see, plenty to talk about and, of course, plenty of opportunities to get hands-on.

This year should be no different. Whether you are already licensed, interested in getting started, enjoy building things, or just fancy a weekend surrounded by antennas and interesting projects, Hamfest is well worth a visit.

Entry is free, and free camping is available too, so you can bring a tent, camper van or caravan and make a weekend of it.

You can have a look back at our photos from IRTS Hamfest 2025, including the soldering workshops and demos, or read about Jeffrey’s cycle to Hamfest last year.

For more information about the weekend, visit the IRTS Hamfest page. Anyone interested in getting involved can also contact hamfest@irts.ie.

We hope to see plenty of Tog members, friends and fellow makers in Mullingar.

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Pride Over the Waves: Amateur Radio Night

Tog Hackerspace is teaming up with Queer Shed Dublin Central for a special evening of amateur radio, Morse code, hands-on demos, and community connection.

Pride Over the Waves: Amateur Radio Night will take place in Tog Hackerspace on Monday, 22 June 2026, from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm.

The event is free, but places are limited, so please book a ticket on Eventbrite:
https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/pride-over-the-waves-amateur-radio-night-tickets-1991936225873

Queer Shed Dublin Central is a grassroots queer skill-sharing community connecting through DIY, repair, and regeneration. We are delighted to welcome them to Tog for this joint event.

The night is linked to Pride Over the Waves, a grassroots amateur radio initiative created by LGBTQI+ amateur radio operators and allies to help make LGBTQI+, queer, and diverse radio amateurs more visible in the wider amateur radio community.

For the evening, we will be activating the special event callsign EI0LGBT.

What will happen on the night?

From 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm, we will have an informal introduction to amateur radio, with live demos and hands-on activities. There will be a chance to see radio equipment in action, learn what callsigns are, hear how radio contacts are made, and try out some Morse code.

The Morse code part will be very beginner-friendly. You do not need to know anything before coming along. It is just a chance to have a go, send a few letters, and discover why this old form of communication is still loved by radio amateurs today.

From 8:00 pm to 9:00 pm, we will call into the South Dublin Radio Club net using the EI0LGBT callsign. A radio net is a regular on-air gathering where radio operators check in, say hello, and share updates.

There may be a chance for visitors to say hello over the radio with support from licensed operators, subject to the usual radio rules on the night.

Who is it for?

This event is open to everyone.

You do not need a radio licence to attend. You do not need to be technical. You do not need to know Morse code. You just need to be curious.

Whether you are part of Queer Shed Dublin Central, a Tog member, a radio amateur, a maker, a friend, an ally, or someone who has never touched a radio before, you are very welcome.

Event details

Date: Monday, 22 June 2026
Time: 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm
Venue: Tog Hackerspace
Tickets: Free via Eventbrite
Special event callsign: EI0LGBT

Book your free ticket here:
https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/pride-over-the-waves-amateur-radio-night-tickets-1991936225873

You can find Queer Shed Dublin Central on Instagram at:
https://www.instagram.com/queersheddublincentral/

Come along, tune in, and help us put EI0LGBT on the air.

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POTA Adventure on the High Seas: Ireland’s Eye

Tog Hackerspace is teaming up with South Dublin Radio Club for another Parks on the Air adventure, and this time we are heading offshore to Ireland’s Eye.

Key info

Date: Sunday 21st June 2026
Meeting point: Howth, for the ferry to Ireland’s Eye
Ferry: 9:45 am ferry with Howth Cliff Cruises
Cost: Around €30.45 return, please check the ferry website for the latest price
Booking: Please book your own ferry ticket in advance
POTA references: IE-0266 Ireland’s Eye Conservation Area and IE-0267 Rockabill Conservation Area
Callsign: EJ0LGBT, using the June special event callsign EI0LGBT from the island
Bands: 20m, 40m and 2m, conditions permitting
Who can come: Radio operators, Tog members, SDRC members, walkers, island explorers and anyone curious about portable radio
Important note: Landing on Ireland’s Eye is weather and tide dependent, and the island has uneven ground and limited facilities.
Trip note: This is an informal club outing rather than a guided tour. Everyone joining is responsible for booking their own ferry, checking the conditions, and deciding if the island walk and boat landing are suitable for them.

On the day, club members will travel by ferry from Howth to Ireland’s Eye to activate two new Parks on the Air references:

The east edge of the island gives us a lovely POTA “2fer”, that’s right, two parks in one activation zone. We will be operating using the June special event callsign EI0LGBT, but as we will be on an island, we will be using EJ0LGBT on the air.

We plan to be active on 20m, 40m and 2m, conditions permitting. We also hope to call into the South Dublin Radio Club net and the IRTS 2m news from the island if timing and coverage allow.

Ireland’s Eye is a small uninhabited island just off Howth, with a mix of rugged coastline, seabirds, seals, the ruins of an early church, and a Martello tower. The island is part of an important protected coastal landscape, including the Ireland’s Eye SAC and the wider Rockabill to Dalkey Island SAC. We will be keeping well clear of nesting areas, taking all rubbish home, and leaving the island as we found it.

For a nice overview of the island and its history, have a look at this Irish Times walk around Ireland’s Eye.

Coming along?

We will be taking the 9:30am ferry from Howth with Howth Cliff Cruises. If you would like to join us, please book your own ferry ticket in advance. The return ferry is around €30.45, but please check the booking page for the latest price and availability before travelling.

Please note that this is an informal club outing rather than a guided tour. Everyone joining is responsible for booking their own ferry, checking the weather and ferry updates, wearing suitable clothing and footwear, and deciding if the boat landing and island walk are suitable for them. Landing on Ireland’s Eye is weather and tide dependent, and the island has uneven ground and limited facilities.

Please have a look at this Ireland’s Eye walking route on Wikiloc before booking, so you have a good idea of the mobility requirements.

This is not only for radio people. If you are a Tog member or friend who would just like a walk, a bit of island exploring, some sea air, birdwatching, or a look at what a portable radio activation involves, you are very welcome to come along.

What to bring

Please dress for the weather and the island terrain. We suggest:

  • Sturdy footwear
  • Rain jacket and warm layers
  • Water and snacks or a packed lunch
  • Sun cream and a hat if the weather looks good
  • A fully charged phone or power bank
  • Any portable radio gear you would like to bring
  • A bag to take all your rubbish home

As Ireland’s Eye is a protected bird sanctuary, please be mindful of wildlife, especially nesting birds. Keep to sensible walking areas, avoid disturbing birds or seals, and leave no trace.

We are looking forward to another fun POTA day out with South Dublin Radio Club, this time with a ferry trip, a bit of island radio, and hopefully plenty of contacts in the log.

Listen out for EJ0LGBT from Ireland’s Eye!

International Museums Weekend in Howth

As luck would have it, our Ireland’s Eye trip falls on the same weekend as International Museums Weekend. The Howth Martello Radio Group will be taking part on 20th and 21st June, operating EI0MAR from Ye Olde Hurdy Gurdy Museum of Vintage Radio in the Martello tower overlooking Howth Harbour.

The museum has strong links to the early experimental days of telecommunications and is a lovely follow-on visit after a morning of radio on Ireland’s Eye. Visitors are welcome to drop in, see the amateur radio station in operation, and maybe even get on the air.

The museum is open daily between 11am and 4pm until the end of October. It is approached by a steep narrow pathway opposite the Abbey Tavern on Abbey Street. The Eircode is D13 V099. I will be dropping in after the fun on the island.

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Heading to Belfast: Tog Visits Farset Labs and Reuse & Repair Week

We’re packing up and heading north on May 30th for the next part of our All Island Maker Mobility project.

This time, a big group from Tog will be travelling to Farset Labs in Belfast for a full day of making, sharing, and community connection. We’re really looking forward to the visit and to spending more time with our friends in Farset as this project gets underway.

Our hosts will be giving us a tour of the space, along with an overview of how they run Farset Labs and how their community works day to day. It will be a great chance to learn from each other, swap ideas, and see how another makerspace tackles the joys and challenges of running a shared creative space. We’ll also be sitting down together for a community dinner, which should be a lovely way to keep the conversations going.

To round out the visit, there’ll also be a Clay Printing Workshop, adding a hands-on creative element to the day. Between the tour, the chat, the workshop, and the food, it promises to be a packed and enjoyable visit.

To make the most of our trip to Belfast, we’ll also be taking part in Reuse & Repair Week. As part of that, some of us will be rolling up our sleeves and helping out at a Pop Up Repair Cafe in Belfast Grand Central Station. The event is a chance for people to bring along broken items and get help fixing them, while also meeting local repairers and learning a bit more about repair culture in action.

We’re really looking forward to meeting the Belfast repair community, lending a hand, and being part of such a positive public event. Repair Cafés are always a great way to connect with people, share practical skills, and keep useful items in use for longer, so it feels like a very natural fit for Tog.

If you’re curious about the Repair Café side of the trip, you can find out more about the Pop Up Repair Cafe Belfast Grand Central Station here:
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/pop-up-repair-cafe-belfast-grand-central-station-tickets-1988476991209?aff=oddtdtcreator

You can also read more about Reuse & Repair Week here:
https://crni.ie/news/reuse-and-repair-week-saturday-30-may-to-saturday-6-june-2026/

This visit is part of our All Island Maker Mobility project, which is helping build stronger links between maker communities across the island through shared visits, workshops, and public activities.

This project is made possible with support from the Shared Island Civic Society Fund through the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. We’re very grateful for that support, which is helping Tog Hackerspace and Farset Labs build stronger links through making, shared learning, repair, and community collaboration across the island.

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TouchDesigner Meetup Dublin @ TOG HACKERSPACE

We are hosting an open TouchDesigner meetup with demos, hands-on learning, and space to share work with others using the software. This is part of a series of monthly events in collaboration with @noid_lab typically on the last Wednesday each month in the space, so this month it’s 29th April, 7-10pm.

Tickets are free – but registration via Eventbrite is required to secure your place.
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/touchdesigner-meetup-dublin-tickets-1987679859968

Workshops:

In this session we will be hosting two workshops. The first will be run by Pauric Freeman, the class will offer a deep dive into instancing in TouchDesigner, breaking down the core principles behind this technique and demonstrating how it can be used to create complex visuals. The session will also explore the integration of MediaPipe, showing how real-time gesture tracking can be used to control instanced systems.

Following this, Cailean will be working with.. nodes! but not in the traditional TouchDesigner sense. This small workshop will explore how the behaviour of nodes can be controlled through the Network Editor using Python scripts.

Format:

The session will run for around three hours in a relaxed, hands-on setting. With multiple rooms available at TOG Hackerspace, we can host beginner and advanced activities simultaneously, ensuring everyone gets the most out of the evening. The event will focus on learning, with a combination of scheduled short and long presentations/demonstrations. The last hour will take a more flattened and open approach, allowing the space for people to chat, share, learn, and explore TouchDesigner. Expect an informal, community-driven environment where the format adapts to participants. So if you would like to bring your laptop and learn the basics, share your projects, or connect with other using the software, this meetup offers a welcoming and supportive space to do so.

The event is also a great opportunity to meet other creative technologists and artists, and to continue building the growing TouchDesigner community in Ireland.

Contact us at noidlab.collective@gmail.com to share ideas for future sessions or to express interest in presenting your work.

A special thanks to TOG for allowing us to use the space for these events, and Derivative for supporting the project. The meetups are hosted each month by a group of artists and creative technologists:

https://www.tog.ie