Meetup 2026 in addition to Connect Live 2026 in Dublin Part one.
First of all, a huge thank you to @AdrianLunsong for letting me help and for enjoying a memorable Meetup together!
Huge thanks to all the Google Maps friends who attended this (once again) extraordinary Meetup.
Huge thanks also to the Google team for joining us at their
closing night and our starting point!
The starting point of the discussion was not difficult for me; I really wanted to join my
Google family again. Although I wasn’t invited to Connect, I really wanted to join for a
meetup this year. Due to the tight schedules of all attendees and the need to travel at a later period this year, Adrian proposed adding our yearly Meetup to Connect Live.
That being said, there wasn’t anyone living in Dublin to organize the Meetup. Kindly,
someone approached me, and I didn’t need a second to say YES 
!
Of course, when you can help a grandmaster of the highest degree to set up a meetup, why wouldn’t you? @OmerAli joined us to help organize, talk through what we wanted to plan, and see what was possible to organize in a short period, because we were only six weeks away from the deadline.
It wasn’t very hard to get good tips, but it was hard to piece everything together. For
example, Gaol was on almost everyone’s list but it was impossible to get tickets; they were sold out on the day we tried to reserve them. I was ready at 7 in the morning and was already too late. So, change of plans: we made an agenda with things we could do and, after some discussion, finalized it through a poll in our closed Telegram group.
All set, you think? No way! Just when everyone wanted to grab tickets as soon as sales
opened, @PeteMHW noticed that Dublin Castle was closed because it was hosting the European Presidency for a year, and the castle needed to be prepared starting from the week we arrived. Rescheduling again—this was just another small bump on the highway for us. We managed to get everyone on the right timing, and the Euromeetup was getting closer. After a few final tweaks, we came to an agreement to visit Guinness, Trinity, take a walk in Howth, and top it off with an evening activity at Celtic Nights.
Time to meet up, time to climb into the Google cloud with Meetup friends—friends to meet again and friends to be made! We scheduled the opening of the Euromeetup to coincide with the closing time of the CL attendees in a bar called BrewDog. We were lucky enough to meet part of the Google team in person, including, @Julie_A @Kristen_NYC, @TinaWill 
, and @David_K
We had a really nice evening and also found the time to film our TikTok performance with @Luigi and @ErmesT had a first meet for me with serveral icons for me like @MortenCopenhagen
On Saturday, we met at Guinness to explore the Guinness Storehouse. This was located in the old factory, featuring explanations of how it was made in the old days versus now. It was great to see, and we even got a taste in a small glass (which we weren’t allowed to take home). After the tour, we enjoyed a marvelous, spectacular view of Dublin from the rooftop bar with a free pint of Stout. The weather was so clear that we could see the mountains surrounding Dublin.
After this, @therealKristen took a tour with some guides to Bubble Tea shops, while myself and a few others explored a market in the Temple Bar region. This was not quite what we thought it would be, so we ate a nice Irish stew before heading to Trinity College. At Trinity College, we received a tour from a current student to learn more about the buildings and history; we even saw a wedding in the chapel inside the university. The architecture goes deep into history, featuring various types of buildings from different eras, ranging from brick
to concrete. In addition, we had the chance to see the Book of Kells and the library, filled with fabulous books and a world artwork inside. We decided to go grab a coffee afterward; some turned it into an Irish coffee 
, but most stuck to a regular drink for the afternoon 
.
Later that evening, we went back and had a night to remember with all the attendees, filled with lots of singing, a bit of dancing, card games against each other, great food, and drinks 
.
On Sunday morning, the group was smaller because several people were already on their way home. However, based on @Yulia’s recommendation, we took the bus to Howth to see the beautiful surroundings, which was about an hour’s drive from Dublin.
We had the walk of a lifetime with spectacular views of the sea, nature, fauna, and flora. We even found the time to put our stickers on a pole with Go Loco! We had a really nice picnic where I truly enjoyed the USA-style sandwich from @Erna and @Keith—I loved it!
After the walk, the group became even smaller because @Jan had to leave as well. I did a nice pier walk with @Justyna, @Tina, and @Mike, and grabbed a toast on the way back to the hotel for a quick rest.
The evening expectations were high to see some Celtic dancing, but it wasn’t as special as we had thought. The meal wasn’t great and the heat was bothering us, even @Sweta, who came all the way from Mauritius into our cold climate. Still, the dance performance and the music were memorable. Could it be that we are already spoiled as Local Guides? It was a
wonderful night spent together with friends, including @Stella too!
The end of the Meetup was getting closer for most of us, so we said goodbye until we
meet again!
On Monday, I had some time to explore on my own. I visited the Teeling Whiskey Distillery and afterward had another nice meal with @Justina to end our Dublin adventure.
It’s time to come down from the Google cloud and the Meetup energy! This annual event truly gives you wings and energy. The vibes were great, the weather was marvelous, and the Meetup was extraordinary. It was wonderful to be together!
Everything was perfectly planned, and Howth Cliff is one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever seen. I hope we’ll meet in Belgium next year! 