Co:Wat?! - Countdown in Waterford 2026
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WHAT IS IT?
Based on Channel 4's flagship daytime TV quiz show, this will be a chance to partake in a real-life Countdown tournament, in the beating heart of Waterford city. We'll have consonants, we'll have vowels, we'll have numbers. We may not have Rachel Riley to dispense them, but we won’t have Anne Robinson or Colin Murray either! Every cloud…
--------------------------------------
THE IRISH SCENE.
Aside from Co:Wat?!, there are two other events on the Irish scene to attend. Jessamine O’Connor’s CO:MON! in Monasteraden, Co. Sligo happened on April 11th. Great craic. Congrats to Hazel Drury on her win! Then there is Co:Wat?! on June 20th. And finally, Eddy Byrne, will probably be running Co:Dub at the same venue as last year -the Urban Junction, Blackrock- at some point in the Autumn.
--------------------------------------
WHO CAN COME?
Anyone at all! Having an interest in anagramming, word games, or puzzles would certainly make it more fun for you, but that is not a requirement. The event caters for all abilities. Some players will be very skilled, but many will be beginners. There will be prizes on offer at each ability level... so whether you are expert, intermediate or novice, there is a chance of coming away with a prize.
--------------------------------------
WHERE IS IT?
The event will be held in the Edmund Rice Youth & Community Multiplex on Manor Street, Waterford, Ireland. (At the heart of the sunny South East. :)) This new venue was first used for Co:Wat in 2023. Right in the heart of Waterford city, with parking available on site, dead handy for food, nightlife and accommodation options; this proved popular with last year’s attendees, so we’ll go with it again.
--------------------------------------
HOW WILL IT WORK?
It kicks off at 11am, and will be conducted using the Bristol-style classroom format. Everyone gets to see the same sets of letters and numbers, and to play them at the same time. Each person will have a direct opponent assigned. These match-ups will be drawn at random just before the start of each game. Everyone is guaranteed 7 games during the day. The results of the early matches (four 9Rers) will determine the composition of the different quarter final groupings. After lunch we play the QFs SFs and finals for each grouping of 8 players. These matches will be 15Rers. The top 8 (sorted by number of wins, then number of points) will contest the quarter final group from which the event winner will come. The final game to determine the event winner will be the only game that won’t be done in the classroom-style setting. It will be a stand-alone match, and everyone will be welcome to stick around and spectate if they so wish.
.
The after party often takes place in Dunmore East, and often involves a lot of singing! More details about that will be published on the event page closer to the time. (It is likely there will be some karaoke in the Carbally Community Centre, but we'll see!)
.
--------------------------------------
COSTS INVOLVED.
Once again the aim is to make this as cheap as possible while still covering costs. This year it is quite simple:
.
The event will cost €15 for any and all players … this price allows us scope to provide many prizes and to host some guests. (Lunch won’t be provided this year, as we have no access to a kitchen, and there are zillions of nearby food options.)
.
If there are travelling guests who need a place to crash, I can offer a few spots, camping etc. Be sure to bring your own supplies though, as we are not providing breakfasts, etc this year, as we have dropped the additional camping charge that used to cover all of that stuff. If you need accom, let me know well in advance so we can factor it in.
.
Other items that are provided throughout, free of charge, include:- 1. Pens and paper to use; 2. Coffees, teas, and some soft drinks; 3. Snacks.
(We are hoping all of this will be doable without operating at a loss financially. Depending on the numbers, it is possible.)
--------------------------------------
BOOKING DETAILS.
To book your place at Co:Wat?! send the payment to Eoin Jackson via paypal at the address [email protected]. (please remember to select 'payment to friends & family') Alternatively you can pay on the day. (Payments on the day cannot be done by card.)
--------------------------------------
FLIGHTS, TRAVEL, etc.
If you are coming from overseas, the best options are to fly into Cork or Dublin. Both of these are approx a 90min drive from Waterford. Bus and train would be available to the city, and we can arrange a lift to the venue from there (for free, obviously). For anyone who would rather take the Ferry. There are regular sailings into Rosslare harbour from Pembroke and Fishguard in Wales. (Rosslare is a 60min drive from Dunmore East.)
For anyone travelling within Ireland, if you can make it to Waterford, we can provide a lift to the venue for you. If you are using Sat Nav, the Eircode is X91TY8N.
[More details to go here as they come available.]
--------------------------------------
2026 is the 10th edition of Co:Wat?!
--------------------------------------
WHAT IS AN "APTERITE"?
Good question. I wonder just how far down this rabbithole you wish to venture? There is an active fan community... all of whom understand terms like "Apterite", "Darren", "Goatblitz", "Hansfording", "Piece of corundum", "Prune on a stuck", "wp gg ty", "Gandiseeg", "Spoon of awesome"... and that's just scratching the surface...
If you want to discover more of this exciting, cerebral, subversive underground movement, then I suggest you start in these places:-
.
1. http://www.apterous.org/
[This is the best site on the internet, bar none. Designed by the countdown king, Charlie Reams, the site is monstrous in size and intricate in its attention to detail. Just when you think you know everything there is to know on the site... you discover a whole new section that will blow your mind. It is a must. You can play countdown online against real opponents there.]
.
2. http://www.c4countdown.co.uk/
[This online forum is a good pace to meet other enthusiasts. It is rather active, and can be interesting.]
.
3. http://wiki.apterous.org/
[This site is mammoth, and thorough. If you are even mildly interested in Countdown... this site has everything and anything you could ever want to know about any and every contestant and episode since the dawn of time. Check it out.]
.
4. https://www.facebook.com/groups/CountdownDATA/
[A facebook hub that contains all the resources an aspiring countdowner could wish for before auditioning for the show.]
.
5. https://www.facebook.com/groups/countdowners/
[A lively and extremely well run discussion group, updated several times a day with regular features. It has increasingly become the #1 go to place for the Countdown community since mid-2017.]
.
6. http://www.dailymotion.com/C4Countdown
[All episodes of Countdown from the last few series can be viewed at this dailymotion channel]
.
7. https://focalcountdown.wordpress.com/
[And finally, if you are interested in playing Countdown in real life in venues across Ireland and the UK, this site provides all the details you need of what's on and when.]
--------------------------------------
I think that’s everything for now! If you have any queries, leave a comment on this page, or contact me (Eoin Jackson) via a facebook private message.
.
So if you fancy a few games of Countdown in a relaxed setting, come to Waterford in the sunny South East of Ireland this June! Hope to see you there. 🙂
Based on Channel 4's flagship daytime TV quiz show, this will be a chance to partake in a real-life Countdown tournament, in the beating heart of Waterford city. We'll have consonants, we'll have vowels, we'll have numbers. We may not have Rachel Riley to dispense them, but we won’t have Anne Robinson or Colin Murray either! Every cloud…
--------------------------------------
THE IRISH SCENE.
Aside from Co:Wat?!, there are two other events on the Irish scene to attend. Jessamine O’Connor’s CO:MON! in Monasteraden, Co. Sligo happened on April 11th. Great craic. Congrats to Hazel Drury on her win! Then there is Co:Wat?! on June 20th. And finally, Eddy Byrne, will probably be running Co:Dub at the same venue as last year -the Urban Junction, Blackrock- at some point in the Autumn.
--------------------------------------
WHO CAN COME?
Anyone at all! Having an interest in anagramming, word games, or puzzles would certainly make it more fun for you, but that is not a requirement. The event caters for all abilities. Some players will be very skilled, but many will be beginners. There will be prizes on offer at each ability level... so whether you are expert, intermediate or novice, there is a chance of coming away with a prize.
--------------------------------------
WHERE IS IT?
The event will be held in the Edmund Rice Youth & Community Multiplex on Manor Street, Waterford, Ireland. (At the heart of the sunny South East. :)) This new venue was first used for Co:Wat in 2023. Right in the heart of Waterford city, with parking available on site, dead handy for food, nightlife and accommodation options; this proved popular with last year’s attendees, so we’ll go with it again.
--------------------------------------
HOW WILL IT WORK?
It kicks off at 11am, and will be conducted using the Bristol-style classroom format. Everyone gets to see the same sets of letters and numbers, and to play them at the same time. Each person will have a direct opponent assigned. These match-ups will be drawn at random just before the start of each game. Everyone is guaranteed 7 games during the day. The results of the early matches (four 9Rers) will determine the composition of the different quarter final groupings. After lunch we play the QFs SFs and finals for each grouping of 8 players. These matches will be 15Rers. The top 8 (sorted by number of wins, then number of points) will contest the quarter final group from which the event winner will come. The final game to determine the event winner will be the only game that won’t be done in the classroom-style setting. It will be a stand-alone match, and everyone will be welcome to stick around and spectate if they so wish.
.
The after party often takes place in Dunmore East, and often involves a lot of singing! More details about that will be published on the event page closer to the time. (It is likely there will be some karaoke in the Carbally Community Centre, but we'll see!)
.
--------------------------------------
COSTS INVOLVED.
Once again the aim is to make this as cheap as possible while still covering costs. This year it is quite simple:
.
The event will cost €15 for any and all players … this price allows us scope to provide many prizes and to host some guests. (Lunch won’t be provided this year, as we have no access to a kitchen, and there are zillions of nearby food options.)
.
If there are travelling guests who need a place to crash, I can offer a few spots, camping etc. Be sure to bring your own supplies though, as we are not providing breakfasts, etc this year, as we have dropped the additional camping charge that used to cover all of that stuff. If you need accom, let me know well in advance so we can factor it in.
.
Other items that are provided throughout, free of charge, include:- 1. Pens and paper to use; 2. Coffees, teas, and some soft drinks; 3. Snacks.
(We are hoping all of this will be doable without operating at a loss financially. Depending on the numbers, it is possible.)
--------------------------------------
BOOKING DETAILS.
To book your place at Co:Wat?! send the payment to Eoin Jackson via paypal at the address [email protected]. (please remember to select 'payment to friends & family') Alternatively you can pay on the day. (Payments on the day cannot be done by card.)
--------------------------------------
FLIGHTS, TRAVEL, etc.
If you are coming from overseas, the best options are to fly into Cork or Dublin. Both of these are approx a 90min drive from Waterford. Bus and train would be available to the city, and we can arrange a lift to the venue from there (for free, obviously). For anyone who would rather take the Ferry. There are regular sailings into Rosslare harbour from Pembroke and Fishguard in Wales. (Rosslare is a 60min drive from Dunmore East.)
For anyone travelling within Ireland, if you can make it to Waterford, we can provide a lift to the venue for you. If you are using Sat Nav, the Eircode is X91TY8N.
[More details to go here as they come available.]
--------------------------------------
2026 is the 10th edition of Co:Wat?!
--------------------------------------
WHAT IS AN "APTERITE"?
Good question. I wonder just how far down this rabbithole you wish to venture? There is an active fan community... all of whom understand terms like "Apterite", "Darren", "Goatblitz", "Hansfording", "Piece of corundum", "Prune on a stuck", "wp gg ty", "Gandiseeg", "Spoon of awesome"... and that's just scratching the surface...
If you want to discover more of this exciting, cerebral, subversive underground movement, then I suggest you start in these places:-
.
1. http://www.apterous.org/
[This is the best site on the internet, bar none. Designed by the countdown king, Charlie Reams, the site is monstrous in size and intricate in its attention to detail. Just when you think you know everything there is to know on the site... you discover a whole new section that will blow your mind. It is a must. You can play countdown online against real opponents there.]
.
2. http://www.c4countdown.co.uk/
[This online forum is a good pace to meet other enthusiasts. It is rather active, and can be interesting.]
.
3. http://wiki.apterous.org/
[This site is mammoth, and thorough. If you are even mildly interested in Countdown... this site has everything and anything you could ever want to know about any and every contestant and episode since the dawn of time. Check it out.]
.
4. https://www.facebook.com/groups/CountdownDATA/
[A facebook hub that contains all the resources an aspiring countdowner could wish for before auditioning for the show.]
.
5. https://www.facebook.com/groups/countdowners/
[A lively and extremely well run discussion group, updated several times a day with regular features. It has increasingly become the #1 go to place for the Countdown community since mid-2017.]
.
6. http://www.dailymotion.com/C4Countdown
[All episodes of Countdown from the last few series can be viewed at this dailymotion channel]
.
7. https://focalcountdown.wordpress.com/
[And finally, if you are interested in playing Countdown in real life in venues across Ireland and the UK, this site provides all the details you need of what's on and when.]
--------------------------------------
I think that’s everything for now! If you have any queries, leave a comment on this page, or contact me (Eoin Jackson) via a facebook private message.
.
So if you fancy a few games of Countdown in a relaxed setting, come to Waterford in the sunny South East of Ireland this June! Hope to see you there. 🙂
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Where is it happening?
XLc Project, XLC Project, Manor Street, Waterford, County Waterford, Ireland
Event Location & Nearby Stays:
Know what’s Happening Next — before everyone else does.
Host or PublisherEoin Jackson
