Jason is taking the BTW event to Cork today at the Boardwalk Bar & Grill at 6pm. I was at the last one in Dublin and it was a fantastic informal meetup of a great mix of people from various walks of the online world most of whom I probably wouldn’t have met ‘offline’ otherwise.
There’s some tasty badges on offer too if you need further reason to attend Would love to have been there but Cork will have its’ claim over me next weekend instead for the International Choral Festival which I will be posting about later on. Directions for how to get there. Have a great evening all!
Recently, I had the pleasure of meeting with developer Dave O’Reilly last week & he showed myself and few of the X Comms crew his iPhone app called ‘How Much Is It On Amazon?’.
Essentially, it’s an app that plugs into the Amazon web service to give you instant prices on anything that’s for sale on the site with the option of purchasing as you would on the Amazon site itself, read customer reviews & find out more info on products.
Link to the app in the iTunes store. A welcome departure from the sea of crazy useless muck that’s in the app store these days & one I’ll be popping on the iPhone for sure. I’m waiting on Dave to give me a link or email or somewhere to send feedback & correspondance, will post it when I have it.
So I’m finally hitting my first ever BarCamp on Saturday in Belfast and I can’t wait. Here’s a little guide on logistics of getting there, particularly if you’re travelling from Dublin.
Registration is from 8.30am and talks will start around 9.30am so it’s a sprightly early start for all. Travel options:
Bus Aircoach is probably the most comfortable bus option, leaving from Dublin Airport at 7am arriving in Belfast at 9.25am. €22 return/€15 single. Bus Eireann do a bus service through the night (shocker!) so you can grab a 6am coach that arrives at 8.30am if you like. Same price as Aircoach.
Train
First train up from Connolly to Belfast leaves at 7.45am arriving at 9.45am. If you book online in advance you can get it for a lovely €20 return as opposed to the €80 I’ve been quoted previously.
Night before
If like me you’re thinking that’s an awfully early start on Saturday to be primed for learning & proper enjoyment of nerdy talk, consider travelling up the night before. The more budget friendly options appear to be Travelodge, Days Hotel or Park Inn. You might be able to take in the pre-camp meetup in the bar on the ground floor of the Premier Inn on Waring Street for drinks at 8pm also.
If anyone has useful info to add whether it be about parking, travel or places to stay/avoid or whatever, leave a comment or email me steph@iamsteph.com and I’ll add it in.
Aillwee Cave Family Loop The annual Tour de Burren cycle is taking place on Saturday June 20th and is tipped to be the biggest gathering yet with hundreds of cyclists expected to take part. The cycle is this year being sponsored by An Post as part of the An Post Cycle Series which is taking in Cork, Sligo, Waterford and Meath this summer.
There will be an extra route on the list this year with 3 routes to choose from:
Aillwee Cave Family Loop (10km)
Corkscrew Challenge (60km)
Burnin’ Burren (120km)
Getting ready for the road
The cycle has grown hugely popular over the past 6 years and is complimented by visiting participants every time on the excellent organisation and support given to them during the trips. It’s also a chance to take in some of the most beautiful scenery the west coast has to offer.
For full information including maps of routes, fees, refreshment stops, places to stay, sign-up info and of course the all-important post-cycle barbeque, check out the Burren Cycling Club website at http://burrencyclingclub.com/
This Friday, April 17th, a very special evening of music and song will be taking place in St.Michael’s Church, Ennistymon, Co.Clare in memory of the late John O’Donohue.
The choir will be performing Mozart’s Great Mass in C minor. They will be joined by more than 75 members of the London Symphony Chorus and The City of Dublin Concert Orchestra under the baton of Joseph Cullen, Principal Conductor of the LSC. Also performing on the night are Sopranos Naomi O’Connell & Anne Byrne as well as Baritone Alistair Ollerenshaw, Tenor Peter O’Donohue and the young Soprano Katie O’Donohue (nephew and niece to John).
I am privileged to be able to call John family and although I sadly didn’t get to know the man behind the beautiful writings such as Anam Chara, I have very vivid memories of him from my childhood when he was parish priest in the local church for a brief period prior to leaving the church and pursuing a career in writing. I remember the effect he had on people when he met them – there were always smiles and laughter and an infectious warmth that I can almost sense again when I try to take in the words he has written that so many have found inspirational.
Tickets for the concert are still available and can be booked over the phone by credit card by calling the Burren College of Art on (065) 707 72 00. Check out the blog at http://jodonohue.blogspot.com.
Would love to have been there but Cork will have its’ claim over me next weekend instead for the International Choral Festival which I will be posting about later on. Directions for how to get there. Have a great evening all!
