So, as most people were aware, The Irish Web Awards were on Saturday night last. I set off in the afternoon and decided to use Google Maps Navigation for a change as driving blind around Dublin can be hazardous for ones petrol tank. For some unbeknownst reason I stayed in Smithfield, because in my own demented mind I figured from a traffic point of view it would be easier to get out of on Sunday morning. Regardless, it was only a fiver in a taxi to the Mansion house which suited me fine. I landed around 4 ish and besides a helpful / not entirely customer orientated check in at the hotel I landed my awards outfit bag and checked under the bed for dead bodies or ladies underwear. I found neither….unfortunately. I took a stroll as far as Forbidden Planet and bought nothing as usual. I always go into that store with the intention of buying the place out, but never buy anything there.
After yet another stroll back it was time to wash the parts and put on the game face. After much deliberation on the outfit I hit the street and taxi’d to the Mansion House for just after 715pm. I had travelled on my lonesome and stood at the bar like some weird male hooker looking for business. About an hour later I was seated up the front with Dave from Dad.ie. I was wondering in what order the awards were going to take place, and sure enough as I had envisioned on the drive up, they were done (to my best recollection) in the order that the finalist list was on the site. So I was in the second award of the night. A pretty cool video introduction for the category and my heart was pounding out of my chest with excitement. I never won anything in my life, excluding a Texaco beach ball in school, when I was 8. And when Rick O Shea said it was State.ie (well done gang) that was the winner, my heart sank. For a few minutes afterwards the brain was clanking away and what just had taken place..a loss! But then I met a nice man by the name of Jack Daniels and enjoyed the rest of the awards which, credit to Damien Mulley and co were absolutely outstanding. So, that was the loss part of it, as for the win..well in my mind, here’s the win part. The Movie Bit for me is and always will be a labour of love. Movies have been my life in more ways than one since the get go and I enjoy writing (albeit badly) about them and all the other stuff that goes on here. And It’s me here and nobody else. I do it all. The design, the typing, the photo shopping, the podcasts and so on. The amount of people who came up to me throughout the night and acknowledged that reaching the final was a pretty epic achievement for a one man show, was truly heart warming. And that was very much appreciated!!
As for the rest of the evening, well that bloke I met called Jack never left my side and he seemed equally friendly with Dave from Dad.ie When I did eventually turn up back at my hotel, I ended up in a lift with 4, drunk, horned up 50 year old ladies who kept staring at my crotch (lovingly may I add) and insisting that I should behave myself when I got back to my room.
Anyway, time for a quick bit of profoundness, which in all seriousness is genuine. While the site might have lost on the night, personally I feel I’ve won. Roll on next year!!! What follows is a seriously of badly taken pictures.
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