This month marked a new experience for me, as I spoke at the Data Céilí event in Dublin. I had never been in Dublin before, nor in Ireland. As the weather turned warm and sunny in the Netherlands, I looked forward to lush green hills, glorious views, and amazing people.
Rain
Well, that idea quickly went south when I checked the forecast. Rain, clouds, but fine temperatures. As someone explained to me later, there is a reason there are so many green hills. Spoiler alert: green hills need both sun and rain. After landing in Dublin, I quickly cleared security and was able to move on to finding a bus to the city centre. Not the most intuitive experience, but I managed to make it. A small walk to reach Trinity College, check in and find my room. When you’re selected as a speaker, the organisers offer you a basic room inside Trinity College for a very low price compared to the rest of the city’s hotel options.
Basic rooms
When people tell you that there’s a basic room, they’re not lying. Nothing in there that could break (including a television), no luxury other than the bare necessities; a bed, a shower and a small desk. But what more do you need when you’re out and about for most of the time, apart from sleeping?
After settling in, I prepared for the presentation the next day, filled up on water, and decided to go out for a walk.
Bad idea, terrible idea. Instead of a strong drizzle, the rain had shifted gears, and it started to rain with greater intensity. My supposedly waterproof jacket, well, wasn’t. So I cut the walk a little short and went back to the room.
Speaker dinner
When the time came for the speaker’s dinner, speakers emerged from various buildings. A few decided to go for a walk, as it wasn’t far from Trinity College. Also, walking to the Brewdog site, the rain seemed to be less intense. We arrived at the location without being drenched and quickly found our place. We felt very welcome and settled in for a fine evening.
After the first drink, food was served, and conversations continued until late in the evening. It was a perfect speaker dinner where, yes, the young ones left earliest. I still think speaker dinners are the best part of a conference, as it’s fun, respectful, and usually full of joy and laughter. The absolute best thing is that when your social battery runs out, you can leave without questions asked. The data community people just understand it.
Session day
The next day was not too early a rise for the session day. As my room was next to the exit, the first people thought it appropriate to wake me at five. Followed by a seagull who clearly required food. After breakfast, on to the session building. That’s also when the weather really started to clear up. Some sun came through, and even the sky became visible. But I quickly went inside to register, get my tag, and find the speaker room to park my bag.
The session I wanted to see was by Warwick Rudd on the accidental DBA and Copilot, two topics close to my heart. It’s a great session with demos that you should consider joining if you get the chance.
I then spent a considerable amount of time talking to other people, attending sessions, and generally trying to make the most of the hallway track. From the first moments, the event felt good. It was nice, cosy, well-organised, and very well run. It’s clear the people behind this event know what they’re doing.
My own session went fine, even though I made the mistake of relying on my phone for internet when the physical location wouldn’t allow it. My bad, I should have prepared better for these moments. It goes to show that we’re never perfect. The audience seemed engaged, and I received positive feedback from some attendees. After the session, a few attendees came up to me with some questions whilst I tried to clear out to allow the next speaker to set up.
Afterparty
Sessions are done, the closing raffle is finished, so it’s time to head to the local pub. With another speaker, we initially went the wrong way, but in the end, we found the place. It was a loud one, but it had a small outdoor area where the noise was less. I had some good chats there and went in for some new drinks and food. The combination of being outside to escape the sound pressure and being inside to socialise made me extend the evening quite a bit.
Recommended!
If you live in Ireland, this conference is a great place to get your learning hat on, meet new people, and have a great time in general. The location is incredible, especially when the sun comes out. If you’re from elsewhere, this certainly is a conference where I’d like to return to, and I’d advise you to try it out for yourself.
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