Kildare couple bring Irish mythology to life in ambitious new video game
Game developers Alex and Alison McQuade from Kill
AN ENTREPRENEURIAL husband-and-wife team from Kill are hoping to bring Ireland’s rich mythology, language and cultural heritage to a global audience through an ambitious new video game inspired by the island’s ancient stories.
Alex Mac Uaid and Alison McQuade, co-founders of Mac Uaid Enterprises Limited, are developing , an open-world role-playing game that combines Irish folklore, historical locations and elements of the Irish language in an interactive adventure.
The couple, who have two young children, are balancing the project alongside full-time jobs and family life, working late nights and weekends to bring their vision to fruition.
For the pair, the idea grew out of a shared love of gaming, particularly large-scale adventure games such as and .
However, they felt there was an opportunity to create something that reflected Ireland’s own cultural identity.
“We always said, wouldn’t it be great to see something Irish with Irish mythology, Irish stories that we’d recognise, and obviously, as Gaeilge, having the language there to recognise as well,” Alison explained.
Alex, whose professional background is in computer programming, fintech and enterprise architecture, had long wanted to develop a video game. The pandemic provided an opportunity to begin experimenting with the technology required to make that ambition a reality.
After years of learning, testing and developing their skills, the couple began shaping the story they wanted to tell. They officially registered their company in August 2025 and have since taken part in the MERITS Pre-Tech Accelerator programme, working with Local Enterprise Office Kildare as they develop the project.
Now working towards a polished, playable demonstration, the developers have approximately 80% of the game’s story written and are continuing to develop the world, characters and mechanics that will bring it to life.
At the centre of is Ailbhe O’Sullivan, an archaeologist who is called to the Hill of Tara after something unusual is discovered there. Her investigation leads her into the Otherworld, where Irish mythology and folklore come to life.
From there, players will encounter mythological characters, navigate challenges and make decisions that influence how the story unfolds.
The developers have been researching Irish mythology extensively to ensure the game remains as faithful as possible to traditional stories, while allowing themselves some creative freedom in bringing them together into a cohesive adventure. Among the figures expected to feature are the Children of Lir, the Morrígan, the Aos Sí and Brian Boru, alongside other notable characters drawn from Ireland’s mythological and historical traditions.
Alison, who is leading the storytelling side of things, said the research has opened up a whole new world of knowledge for her.
“I have not stopped reading books and looking into things. My brain has a whole new compartment now just for mythology,” she said.
One of the game’s distinctive mechanics centres on a hagstone, a naturally-occurring stone with a hole through its centre that features in folklore as a sort of looking glass into the Otherworld. Through a mechanic the developers call , the Irish word for insight, Ailbhe can look through the stone to glimpse aspects of the past that would otherwise remain hidden.
For example, a ruined structure might appear as a ghostly reconstruction of how it once looked, allowing players to discover clues about the world around them. Rather than simply pointing players towards their next objective, the mechanic is designed to encourage observation, interpretation and decision-making.
The developers hope the result will be an engaging adventure that introduces players to stories they may never have encountered before, or to reintroduce them to ones they are familiar with.
The project’s ambitions extend beyond storytelling. Alex and Alison are also working to recreate real Irish landscapes and monuments within the game world, using digital mapping and scanning techniques. The team has used satellite imagery and LiDAR data to build maps of the landscape, which have been imported into Unreal Engine, the software used to create the game environment.
The planned world covers approximately 20 square kilometres of playable terrain, incorporating parts of Leinster and locations across counties including Kildare, Meath, Louth and Laois. The Hill of Tara will serve as the starting point for the initial playable demonstration, with other recognisable locations, including Newgrange and the River Boyne, also part of the developers’ plans.
The team has also engaged with the National Monuments Service and the Office of Public Works (OPW) in relation to representing archaeological sites appropriately. Through these efforts, they have accessed material including 3D models and scans of monuments, while also undertaking their own photographic work to help recreate features of the landscape.
Alex said the process has required careful consideration of how historic sites are portrayed.
For the couple, historical accuracy and respect for Ireland’s heritage are important considerations, even as they incorporate fantastical elements into the experience.
The Irish language will also play a role in . Irish will feature throughout the game, but English will be the main language for players. Certain mythological beings, including the Aos Sí, will speak Irish, with English captions available to help players understand their dialogue. The intention is to introduce the language naturally through the characters and the story, rather than making it feel like a separate educational exercise.
Alison hopes the approach will encourage players to become more familiar with Irish expressions and the cultural traditions behind them.
Despite the scale of the undertaking, remains an independent project being developed around the couple’s existing professional and family commitments.
Both work full-time outside the game while also raising two young children, aged almost two and three-and-a-half. Progress therefore depends on careful planning, late nights and weekends, alongside support from family members who help with childcare.
The couple have largely funded development themselves to date, but bringing in additional developers, artists, level designers, musicians and voice actors will require further investment. Their planned Kickstarter campaign aims to raise funds to help accelerate development, with Alex estimating that approximately €38,000 is needed to complete the project’s next major stages.
The campaign will offer a range of rewards for supporters, including access to development materials, digital artwork and wallpapers, and access to the playable demonstration at selected funding levels.
The couple are also working to build a community around the game. Their Kickstarter pre-launch page allows interested supporters to follow the campaign free of charge and receive a notification when it officially launches.
A page for the game is also live on Steam, the digital platform used to purchase and access PC games, where players can add it to their wishlists, so that they may be notified once its up and running.
The couple are aiming to offer a completed, polished game demo of approximately 30 to 45 minutes by March 2028.
Ultimately, the developers want to do more than entertain.
Alex recalled how playing historically inspired games, particularly , sparked his own interest in visiting the real-world locations depicted on screen. He hopes their game will have a similar effect on players, encouraging them to travel to Ireland, explore its ancient sites and discover the stories behind them.
“We’d love the player to get from our game that they play it and afterwards they’re like, ‘I have to see it all. I have to go to this place’,” he said.
For the couple, the project is an opportunity to promote Irish tourism while helping preserve and share the country’s language, folklore and cultural identity with an international audience.
With the story taking shape, the technology developing and a growing list of historical locations being brought into the game world, represents an ambitious undertaking for a small independent team.
And for its creators, the hope is that players who enter its mythological world will leave with a greater appreciation of the stories, landscapes and traditions that make Ireland unique.
Readers can follow the development of Emerald Blood: Songs of the Ancients and learn more about the project by donating to their Kickstarter campaign at www.kickstarter.com/projects/macuaidenterprises.
