The annual Games Fleadh at TUS Thurles
On 4 March, Alan Devins, Technical Lead on the Virtual Youth Work Project at Technological University of the Shannon, spoke with students attending the annual Games Fleadh at TUS Thurles, an event that brings together game development students from across Ireland.
The session offered a behind-the-scenes look at how technologies commonly associated with games — such as Virtual Reality, multiplayer networking, and immersive interaction design — are being adapted to support youth work and social inclusion.
Key themes explored during the talk included:
Designing virtual spaces that are inclusive and accessible for diverse groups of young people
The technical architecture behind a sustainable multiplayer VR platform
Why building open, platform-agnostic systems matters for long-term sustainability
How technology can support youth workers in reaching young people who are often hardest to engage
Events like Games Fleadh provide a valuable opportunity to connect with the next generation of developers and to show how game development skills can be applied far beyond entertainment — contributing to education, community engagement, and social impact.
