About Me

About me you say? Born the same day as Colin Farrell and Clint Eastwood, obviously not in the same year… that’d just be strange.

I work for myself…

Originally from Kilkenny I spent some glorious years working, living and studying in Waterford where I left in 2005 with a BSc in IT / BSc in Multimedia Applications Development which gave me enough insight to start EventIreland with a close friend. Electronic ventures into the web - design, cms solutions, graphic production for web and print, online marketing - quite a broad spectrum indeed.

I’m passionate about music…

Music courses through my blood. It’s coursed through my family’s blood and literally pumps through my veins. I’ve got an extremely ecclectic musical taste. I’ll take anything from rock to indie, reggae and ska, traditional, classical, jazz, musicals, punk, metal, downtempo, electronica, drum and bass… anything goes.

Except rap. Just not really into the whole Xzibit and 50 cent thing…

I’m a musician at heart. If it’s got strings you can be sure I’ll get a tune out of it. I’ve played with various bands and musicians over the year, more recently concentrating on my own solo material in Kilkenny while mixing it up with a live trad band in Sligo when the chance permits. If you ever want to buy me a gift, look no further than a guitar. Unless it’s a camera (see below).

I’m a blogging nut…

I’ve been blogging since 2004, first through college where I kept a blog of technical projects on kenmc.com (that blog no longer available) before launching my own personal blog under the kenmc.com name in October 2005. I’ve started and finished blogs, some are extremely active, some a little stagnant but I’m blogging everything from technology to sport, music to theatre, food to travel, design and more. I blog way too much, but not enough at the same time.

I am a serial blogger. I am a blog addict.

I’m a podcaster…

In 2006 I was bitten by the podcasting bug. That’s what it is. A bug. And once you start, there’s no turning back. I started the Sound System Podcast in October 2006 as a monthly podcast with KilkennyMusic.com (turning weekly late in 2007), the podcast focusing on local music news and issues along with random coverage of gigs, upcoming events, news from the web, music opinion and more. The show began life as a 4-man job but since late 2007 is hosted by myself and Ross Costigan.

In March 2007 I began my own podcast, the Playlist Mix, showcasing music submissions from independent acts around the world. After three shows between March and April 2007, the podcast took an extended break, allowing me to put some serious thought into where it was going to go. The Playlist Mix podcast is now a weekly podcast, having returned in October 2008. It is available via iTunes and on PlaylistMix.com, each show featuring 30 minutes of podsafe music from six independant acts.

I love the theatre…

…and I always have done. I’m also the Technical Director for The Devious Theatre Company in Kilkenny, a theatre production company I was involved in the setting up of in May 2006. We write, produce and direct our own material as well as bringing theatre to audiences our own age (early to mid 20s) that we think is relevant and provides a genuine alternative to the “pub and club” culture. I’ve appeared in several amateur stage productions, worked as a producer, made my directorial debut in 2007 and like podcasting, once you’ve tried theatre there’s just no going back.

I see life through a lens…

My other big passion in life is photography. Any time. Any where. Life is a big movie. Angles, scenes, depth of field, focus, lines of sight… I’m never far from a camera. Whether the 3.2mp Cybershot in my Sony Ericsson K800i, or the Nikon Coolpix S200 for my other pocket, or my near four-year-old Nikon D70 and its array of lenses, I’ll never be far from a camea. I maintain (or try to maintain) a photo blog at Ken McGuire Photography.

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