The Winner of the App-Cademy 2011 with Nokia Ireland

Shane McGovern & Des Doris

The winner of the inaugural App-Cademy in association with Nokia Ireland has been announced. Shane McGovern’s winning app is aimed at fitness enthusiasts and those who want to get fit.
“KettleBell Pro will teach users how to perform a set of kettle bell exercises through graphic animations and unparalleled control features. It will hopefully encourage users to exercise more regularly and lead a healthier lifestyle with its advice and tips section, and hopefully over time, help reduce the levels of obesity in both the country and abroad,” says Shane.

Helen Lyons & Andrew Rooney

The App-Cademy is an initiative by the organisers of the Appys, and was held in the Science Gallery, Trinity College, Dublin on June 15th, 2011.
The App-Cademy is a chance for students and young programmers who have a great idea for an app, to get the app developed. Entrants also have the opportunity to present their work to leading industry players in the mobile, marketing and tech communities.

Lisa Byrne, Claire McHugh, Axonista

“The idea is simple – we want to encourage young app developers to express themselves and be as creative as possible with their ideas. All the app ideas and mobile web projects were reviewed by leading professionals and the winner of the App-Cademy, Shane McGovern, will receive a bursary worth €5,000,” says Sian Gray, marketing manager, Nokia Ireland.

Shane McGovern, Sarah Keehan, Patrick Leddy (Furious Tribe) & Eoghan Hickey

“This was a great first showing for the App-Cademy. I would like to thanks all those who took part, all those who entered, our brilliant judges and of course our fantastic sponsor, Nokia Ireland,” said Des Doris, event organiser.

Shane McAllister & Keith Lacey

“The App-Cademy is a showcase to allow students and young programmers to demonstrate what they can do. What we look for are great ideas. A great app idea can be developed to run on every smart phone platform,” says Edward Conmy, event organiser. “Innovative ideas for the mobile web are also considered.”

Karen & Mary from Elevate PR

The judges were very impressed by the talent on display. The competition is platform agnostic – apps from all platforms are considered. App ideas included a professional DJ app, an angry-bird style game, a multiple language translation app, a timetable app for secondary students, a recipe app, and an app for diabetics.
The event was open to all people with an interest in apps to attend. On the night many companies, looking for developer talent, also turned up to speak to the finalists.

Judging begins

“This is what it’s about,” says Doris, “putting young developers and recent graduates in front of potential employers. I wouldn’t be surprised if quite a few of our finalists walked away with potential job interviews.”

Judges for the App-Cadamy 2011
• Keith Lacey, Cybercom
• Adam McCarthy, Tapadoo
• David McMahon, Redwind Software
• Daragh Ward, Axonista
• Sarah Keenan, Furious Tribe
• Shane Mc Allister, Mobanode
• Gavan Drohan, O2
• Patrick Leddy, Furious Tribe