I WON!

I won at the Irish Blog Awards! Yes!
This thing you're now reading, is officially the Best Specialist Blog in the Irish blogosphere. Don't ask me what I'm a specialist in...
I'm guessing it's something to do with the autism stuff. But anyway, I'm a winner.

I'm just going to take a minute to gloat.


That's better.

SO last night, the Irish Blog Awards were held in a Dublin hotel. I went down from Belfast on the train with my cousin Miche. Though I really didn't expect to win, I was sure it'd be a good night out and a chance to meet a few cyber buddies.

It was very well organised, and we were pleased to see that proceeds from the entrance charge went to an epilepsy charity. We took our seats feeling a bit out of place at first. It seemed that many other people there already knew one another. I wondered how I'd ever know who was who, not knowing what anyone looks like. The only way to tell was to gawk closely at the name badges perched on chests and since the place was packed with close to 400 people, that wasn't going to be easy.

It was all hosted by a proper radio DJ and blogger, Rick O'Shea, and each category was introduced by George W. Bush in a series of witty video things. Each winner received a really nice cut glass trophy, champagne and a DVD player. Not a bad haul of booty! Eventually I got chatting to a few people sitting near me, 73Man and the Dublin Community bloggers, and got them to promise to cheer for my blog when it was called out, as I was a bit worried that no-one there would know it, leaving only me and Miche clapping. I'm shallow enough to worry about such things. But when my time came, they did me proud, and amazingly and fantastically, this actually won.

I gave a very garbled speech, thanking my children for providing me with lots of material together with the media for writing so much rubbish about autism. I don't think it came out the way I meant it to... I forgot to pose for my photo with the sponsor of my category, iQ Content, and had to go back up. Ah well.

At least then, the few people there who do read my ramblings knew what I look like, and Heidi and Bock were both nice enough to come say hello and be ever so lovely about my win.

I have to say, as a person who has never won anything, never been singled out for particular praise, winning an award for writing this, is such a wonderful, delightful thing. I love blogging, especially so today!

As the night went on, I got chatting to more bloggers and everyone was so lovely and enthusiastic. I got to meet Hangar Queen, and Maman Poulet, and I was able to question Twenty Major about his naughty language and thank the organiser Damien Mulley, for going to so much effort to make us northerners feel at home, (the stage was decked in red, white and blue bunting, and looked like parts of Belfast in July, though the intended effect was a USA presidential rally).

Miche and me sat with the Dublin blogger crowd, a smart move as it turned out, as they were great company. It was especially nice to hang out with Red Mum who, it turns out, is herself a Belfast woman. We even had a bit of a dance since it all ended with a disco.

In the end, I staggered both proudly and a wee bit woozily to bed.

(The full list of Blog Award winners can be seen here.)