Alexia Golez

It’s been a year since the Paddy’s Valley trip. We’re older, balder and we’ve lost a few more grey cells. But wasn’t it great? In some ways the trip seems like yesterday, in others a lifetime ago. Breakfasts at the Fountain. The informal huddles in the foyer.

In no particular order and apologies if I miss anyone… Deep breath.

Niall Larkin – Relevant M (Social networking privacy do-hickey)

• Niall’s still in stealth mode with his RM baby. One day he’ll tell me the ingredients to its secret sauce. I may disappear afterwards!

Anton Mannering  – Udoogoo (One socnet platform to rule them all?)

• Anton’s had a busy year. Bench’d became something much bigger with Udoogoo. Some Betas are coming our way in the New Year. He’s also Mr. Digital Media Forum. More significantly, Jessica made him an honest man.

Ger Hartnett – CoClarity (Organises information flows in business)

• Much like Anton, Ger’s had a very busy year and has been in Beta product mode. Hosca are trialing CoClarity’s Beta. It’s great to see him back blogging too. Keep it up.

Jan Blanchard – Touristr (Travel review site)

• Touristr moved up a gear this year. It was one of the winners of Eircom’s Web Innovation Fund, inked a partnership with DERI and it was a Munster finalist in IntertradeIreland’s All Ireland Seedcorn competition.

Shane McAllister – Mobonode (In your phonez, bluetoothing you)

• Shane has been bluetoothing his way around gigs and events this past year. Mobonode powered Bluetooth content at lots of concerts including the set of Heineken Green Energy gigs and the Electric Picnic.

Marcus Mac Innes – Pixie (Photosharing Mother lode)

• This year Pixie made some great community stirrings, by partnering with events like the Festival of World Cultures and then with photobloggers for a photowalk of the Storehouse. It also nabbed a clutch of awards at the DMAs, Irish Web Awards and Net Visionaries.

Alan O’Rourke – Spoiltchild (Email marketing and slimline Photo-Its)

• What a hectic year for Spoiltchild! Toddle going from strength to strength and then out pops Finetuna. Shortlisted at both the DMAs and the Irish Web Awards. 2009 will be busier again, methinks.

Heléne Haughey – Nubiq (Zinadoo mobile web friendlyises your site)

• It was Zinadoo’s second birthday in September and to celebrate Nubiq added mobile admin and contact sync. In October, Nubiq won the Most Innovative Mobile Internet Consumer Deployment prize at the Mobile Internet World Innovation 2008 Awards

And then there were the lone guns..

• Newbies Contrast from Eoghan, Paul and David. They took 2008 by the scruff of the neck by building Qwitter and holding AppSchool.
• Mr Mulley going from part-time troublemaker to professional comms and trainer ninja at Mulley Communications. He was last seen on a mission of mischief somewhere in Cuntfuckistan.
• Conor has moved off to mastermind gamey goodness with Goa/Orange France Telecom.

The photo encapsulates the spirit of the trip in a light-hearted sort of way. I love the American attitude to business. Can-do all the way. More of that please! I hope that somewhere, someone organises another one, if only to expose Irish techie sorts to the kinds of contacts that can be mutually beneficial down the line. The more cross-pollination that happens between these tech business sinks, the better.

Now, where will we all be a year from here?