I am very happy to announce that me and Cliona are relocating to New York for a couple of years. I’ll be heading off in late August, and Cliona will follow me in the Autumn.

Why are we going? Well, I’ve been very fortunate to get into NYU’s Interactive Telecommunications Program (ITP). ITP is a master’s degree that I’ve wanted to do for many years - I’ll have a chance to learn from people like Clay Shirky, Tom Igoe, Daniel Schiffman, Daniel Rozin and collaborate with other students to research and build networked toys, useful tools and online experiences. Right up my street.

Aside from my quest to go and do ITP, this is a great opportunity for both me and Cliona to have a lot of fun together in a new city. We have always talked about living and working outside of Ireland for a while, and it seems like the perfect time to give it a try. We’re both leaving behind great jobs, and will miss our friends and families immensely - but this is one of those once-in-a-lifetime chances that we are both excited to pursue. It’s an adventure for both of us.

Fulbright

This (pretty major leap into the unknown) is all made possible because I’ve been very fortunate to win a Fulbright – Enterprise Ireland Award in Science Technology and Innovation, which will help fund ITP; I’m being presented with the award in Dublin today. It’s an incredible honour to have been chosen from the many applicants who compete every year in for a Fulbright scholarship/award. I want to say a huge thank you to the Fulbright Commission of Ireland - I will try not to let you down.

So, that is all the big news. There is still quite a bit of time before either of us set sail, but we thought you would like to know nice and early.