9-round Swiss. Rating requirement 1900+, either FIDE or ICU; not enforced rigidly. Open to non-Irish players but only Irish players eligible for title of Irish champion.
Tiebreak
The title of Irish champion would be shared in case of a tie between any number of eligible players (which would have been a change to the long-standing rules in the case of a tie between three or more eligible players) (see Sources and Notes). A rapidplay playoff would apply for the single guaranteed place on the next Olympiad team.
Time control
100 minutes for 40 moves followed by 50 minutes for 20 moves, then 15 minutes for the remaining moves, with 30 seconds cumulative increment for each move starting from first move