Irish Podcasting Notes

There’s a lot worth noting about Irish podcasting this week.

• Congratulations to Brian Greene, who received the inaugural Podcasting Award at the IIA’s Netvisionary awards last Thursday.  Brian may well have been Ireland’s first podcaster and he and Doop Design are working hard to promote podcasting as a communications channel for Irish business.  On a personal level, I and other Irish podcasters have benefitted enormously from his support, advice and encouragement over the past year.  Thanks Brian – and well done!
• It’s a sign of what a small world podcasting still is that I can also say the same of the other two nominees who shared the shortlist with Brian last Thursday.  Bernie Goldbach has been the most extraordinary innovator in his work with the students of Tipperary Institute at podcasting.ie.  Tom Raftery has built an international audience (podleaders.com) without leaving his stronghold in Cork.
• I don’t know if Brian went to Pod Con UK at the weekend.  He had discussed it some weeks back.  Brendan Bolger went however, and sent me a text message over the weekend to say he had met Adam Curry and given him a CD of Irish podcasts!  Nice one Brendan.
• Brendan’s an Irish language podcaster, like myself.  His Spudshow showcases Independent Irish female musicians.  We’ve kept up correspondence over the past year and we’ll meet for the first time this evening when I give a guest lecture for the Irish department at the University of Limerick.  The topic: “An Líonra Sóisialta: An Ghaeilge agus an tIdirlíon” (The Irish Language and The Internet).  It’s in the John Holland Theatre in UL at 19:30.
• Letter to America Chapter 52 – the 1st anniverary was published last week.  I think you’ll agree that’s a bigger achievement than the average podcasting anniversary if you’ve heard the huge personal energy Jett Loe puts into each show.  If you haven’t heard LTA yet, check out lettertoamerica.blogs.com.
• Finally, congrats to all involved with the Netvisionary Awards – and a special shout to John Breslin who scooped an award for the second year running!  This is a tiny little country all the same.  John and I were in college together, and last week he kindly gave me an interview for An Líonra Sóisialta about his Wiki Ireland project.  Comhgháirdeachas John!

And we’re back!

Has it been 4 weeks since we started An Líonra Sóisialta? Almost! Eventually it took Guido to get me to come up for air!

Busy – and exciting too! An Líonra Sóisialta is well and truly up and running. There’s been a fantastic response in the Irish language community and I’ve been overwhelmed by all the support and encouragement.

I’ve been overwhelmed by the work as well, but my keel seems to be be righting at last, and it looks like the work is starting to bear fruit.

Tom Raftery reports on An Líonra Sóisialta‘s entry to the iTunes Ireland Podcast Top 100, as well as my nomination in the “Best Podcaster” category for the forthcoming Irish Internet Association Net Visionary awards. With typical modesty, he neglects to mention that he too is a nominee in the same category, as well as in the “Best Blogger” and “Social Contribution” categories.

Voting to determine the finalists in each category is currently underway at netvisionary.ie. Voting is open to anyone, and will close on the 23rd October. I’m thrilled to be nominated in the company of Tom, Bernie, Joe, Jonathan and Brian and I’m looking forward to seeing them at the awards in November.

All support is gratefully appreciated, and if you’d like to subscribe to An Líonra Sóisialta in iTunes, just search for the word LIONRA, or you can use this link!