Awards
Things I've been recognised for along the way.
Forbes 30 Under 30 2020
ForbesStill can't quite believe this one. I was named on the Forbes 30 Under 30 list for my work on Helperbird. Something I built to help people like me ended up on Forbes — wild.
Best Use of Open Source Tools
IBM & IntelWon this for a project using machine learning with Node.js and Material Design. IBM and Intel liked the way I put it all together.
Overall Best Poster & Project 2016
Cork Institute of TechnologyGot top marks at CIT for a project using machine learning, Node.js, and Material Design. Felt great to have the lecturers and classmates recognise the work.
Imagine Cup National Runner-Up 2015
Microsoft IrelandEntered Microsoft's Imagine Cup with CrossTrainr, a fitness app that connected people with similar workout interests. Came second nationally and the Microsoft team encouraged me to take it further.
Imagine Cup National Runner-Up 2014
Microsoft IrelandBuilt Yeti, a tool that resized images and videos to cut bandwidth and speed up load times. Got 2nd place in the innovation category for Ireland. This one later grew into a bigger project.
Hatchery Scholarship for Innovation
Cork Institute of TechnologyGot a scholarship over the summer of 2012 to turn five student projects into real businesses. Weekly workshops, proper mentorship, and by September I had actual business plans done.
Abbott Runner-Up Award
AbbottFor a SciFest competition, I built a tablet from an old laptop — added a touch screen, coded a custom interface and apps, and made a completely custom shell. Got second place and the Abbott award.
Most Technically Innovative Award
Cork Institute of TechnologyWon €2,000 for Project Bird, a software studio I ran with my mate Tadhg Foley focused on Windows and web 2.0 projects. Nice to get that recognised during college.
Maths and Algorithms
BT Young ScientistSecond place in the Chemical, Physical & Mathematical Sciences category for 'A New Algorithm to Improve the Gathering of Information on Mobile.' This project ended up being the early version of what became the Yeti engine.
Technology 2nd Place
BT Young Scientist AwardIn fifth year, I built 'Automated Monitoring of Computer SQL Servers by Way of a Merit.' Didn't know it at the time, but it eventually grew into Tallus.
SciFest Award for Programming x5
BT Young Scientist AwardWon five programming awards at SciFest — one-day science fairs where you build everything in 24 hours. The time pressure was intense but it taught me to code fast and think on my feet.
HEANet Special Award
HEANetRecognised for how I used networking tools for research and collaboration. Basically got an award for being handy with the internet.
Avaya Communications Special Award
AvayaGot recognised by Avaya for my work with networking and communication tools. Was chuffed that a company that big noticed what I was doing.
All Ireland Title
EircomWon the All Ireland title from Eircom for building a web app that the judges thought was well-made and genuinely useful. This one meant a lot.
Junior Spider Awards: Best Application
EircomBest application in the Junior Spider Awards. I'd put a lot of effort into making it properly polished, so it was great to see that pay off.
Teamwork Hackathon 2015: Runner-Up
Teamwork.com24 hours, 15 competing ideas. Built an internal social website concept and came second. Knackered but happy.
Everyday Excellence Award
Teamwork.comGot this at Teamwork for consistently doing good work on the website. Always nice when the day-to-day stuff gets noticed.
Above and Beyond the Call of Duty
Teamwork.comTeamwork gave me this for going above and beyond on the website. Apparently I was doing more than they expected — I just liked the work.
The Faculty of Engineering & Science Scholar
Cork Institute of TechnologyGot the Faculty Scholar title for having the top grade in my class at CIT. Made all those late nights studying feel worth it.
Lightning Talk Smackdown Winner
Rebelcon 2017Won the Lightning Talk Smackdown at Rebelcon 2017. Talked about converting websites to Progressive Web Apps and shared a service worker template. The crowd was well up for it.
Google Scholarship Awards
Google.comSelected as one of 1,000 students worldwide for a Google scholarship covering their Front-End Web Developer Nanodegree. Pretty surreal getting that email.
Project Cover Grant Winner
Project CoverCover is a non-profit that helps people get access to opportunities and networks. Getting their grant felt like proper validation that what I was building could actually help people.
Abe's Curated $100 Micro Grant
Abe'sA small grant from Abe's for creating open-source content — CC0, CC-BY, and GPL compatible stuff. Only $100 but it was cool to get recognised for contributing to open source.