About me
Who I am, what I care about, and what I get up to.
I'm Cillian Cooke, a first-year Computer Science student at Trinity College Dublin. Programming isn't a passion in itself, but creating things is. I love finishing a project and taking a moment to realise that something exists because I made it.
From building small video games using YouTube comment APIs to creating apps designed to help friends be less antisocial — I love having an idea and running with it. I'm not satisfied with identifying problems, I feel compelled to build solutions.
Outside of code, I founded a Dungeons & Dragons summer camp at 17, run a gardening business with 20+ clients, work in an afterschool setting, and I'm a member of Trinity's Juggling & Circus Society. I was also selected for the Centre for Talented Youth Ireland programme.
In summer 2024, I spent three weeks in Tanzania — completely disconnected, camping at rural schools and hiking mountains. It shifted how I see everything.
Location
Dublin, Ireland
Education
BSc/MSc Computer Science — Trinity College Dublin (2025–2030)
Languages & Tools
- Python
- TypeScript
- Dart
- JavaScript
- HTML/CSS
- React
- Flutter
- FastAPI
- Git
- Figma
CV
Books & comics are where I combine curiosity and creativity. I read both storytelling and technical work, and I keep a growing list of favourites.
Comics & graphic novels
- Invincible — a gritty superhero saga with emotional stakes and unexpected twists.
- The Boys — dark satire that made me rethink how stories can use real-world edge.
- V for Vendetta — one of the best examples of political worldbuilding in comics.
- Sapiens: A Graphic History — a more visual take on my favourite history text.
Books I keep returning to
- Hello World — it blends tech and human stories in a way that feels thoughtful and relevant.
- Designing Data-Intensive Applications — a practical guide for building systems that scale.
- Flutter in Action — useful for shipping mobile apps faster and more confidently.
- If Anyone Builds It, Everyone Dies — funny and sharp commentary on internet culture.
Current shelf
Sports help me stay grounded and present. I enjoy activities that combine focus, physical energy, and community.
- Men's football for Leinster Celtic Football Club — competitive play and teamwork at a higher level.
- Captain of Trinity 5 a side football team — leading teammates and driving our team's performance.
- Trinity Juggling & Circus Society — I love learning new tricks and the supportive atmosphere.
- National Juggling Festival of Ireland — competed and connected with fellow jugglers and circus performers.
- Professional Leinster Rugby ball boy — match-day discipline and teamwork taught me a lot at professional level.
- Hiking and camping — getting outside is the best way to reset after screen time.
Dungeons & Dragons is one of my favourite creative outlets. I enjoy worldbuilding, storytelling, and guiding groups through adventures.
- Dungeon Master for three years — I build campaigns, characters, and immersive storylines.
- Founder of a D&D summer camp — I planned sessions and helped others discover roleplaying.
- I advertised, organised, and ran the whole camp myself at age 17.
- It combines creativity, collaboration, and improvisation in a way I love.
D&D Summer Camp
Run independently at 17
I designed and ran a multi-week Dungeons & Dragons summer camp for new and experienced players. The camp was structured around guided campaigns, creative problem-solving, and collaborative storytelling. Each day featured different sessions, ranging from character creation workshops to full immersive campaign play.
How I organised it
- Designed each session and the full camp timetable with progression and variety.
- Created marketing materials and advertised through social media and local flyers.
- Handled all bookings, registration, payments, and camp logistics completely solo.
- Led new players through a full 15+ hour introductory campaign.
- Managed group dynamics and ensured all participants had an inclusive, welcoming experience.
Campaigns I am Proud of
Campaign I — The Living Canvas
A world dreamed into being
8 months
Step inside the mind of a Sacred Artist — a god who paints reality itself. Inspired by the hauntingly beautiful post-apocalyptic visions of Simon Stålenhag, this world is one where rusting machines breathe and move with something disturbingly close to life. Organic circuitry pulses beneath metal flesh. Wetlands hum with forgotten technology.
But the landscape is never fixed. The world shifts with the artist's mood — storm-grey desolation when he despairs, amber warmth when wonder stirs in him again. To navigate it, players must learn to read not the terrain, but the soul behind it.
Campaign II — The Next Stage
A race through the poetry of dying
7 months
Death, in the world of Norman Alperson, is not a wall — it is a door. A poet of extraordinary power, Norman grants new stages of existence to those whose lives have reached their natural fullness. Not an ending, but a transformation into something richer.
Players raced toward the Final Life — a heaven beyond all heavens — but the path demanded more than strength or cunning. Every trial was woven into verse. To advance, they had to feel the meaning hidden within the language, to move through metaphor as though it were terrain.
Original poems from this campaign live in the Poetry tab →
Poetry is where I explore thoughts and emotions through words. Click a title to open each poem.
Overture I Every note is born equal
Every note is born equal — yet An artist must decide what note comes next. A choice that should never rest with one alone. Equality does not mean perfection.
Across this universe, infinite lives begin. Infinite lives end. And I, as an artist — as a lover — must choose but one. A choice made infinitely impossible.
With the concept of infinity, With a gesture most romantic, I will— Divide infinity to reach you, Until infinity becomes one.
And with that, Multiply one to infinity.
Undying Note III War is coming — maybe not in this life
War is coming — maybe not in this life, but definitely in the next.
Living is to fight; dying is to move on. Each stage grows, while you shrink.
A war shouldn’t be won with a thousand soldiers, but rather one right leader — one who unites, one who plays the perfect harmony between pain and growth.
War isn’t won with sticks and stones, but rather a series of notes — a chord juxtaposed with a lullaby.
So this fight may be over, but the war has just begun. To fight and die is the greatest sacrifice; to fight and live is to fight again.
Singularity IV Weightless in the eyes of progress
Weightless in the eyes of progress, Progress found in the event of no return.
Beyond the cliff of moments. For a God does not fear The concept of time.
The other side awaits. Patiently Aging the mortals. Like a clock ticking down its own demise. So shall you. A warrior with no urgency.
Is a hero with no purpose.
The Final Chapter XII It begins and ends with you
It begins and ends with you, My fallen angel bearing the golden ticket. A war to end all wars is not worth the blade If your soul wasn’t left to save.
This ticket to omnipotence is priceless, Yet exemption from battle is granted Along with the greatest honour. For you and you alone must choose —
A single champion.
A champion to lead us into war. And the war comes for us now, For a plague has taken root, Defence will only buy us time.
Questioning V Walking in circles; running from memories
Walking in circles; running from memories. Memories of nightmares. Nightmares that manifest to reality.
An endless cycle, building upon itself.
I never got to the heart of the problem, As I never learned to hold my breath.
How I apologise to myself with empty words. “Sorry” isn’t enough to put out a fire.
Stop looking in the eyes of others, As you share different worlds.
By walking through old memories, Each one slightly wrong.
A mirror placed in front of me, Still doesn’t reflect how I feel. In a world of good and evil. I feel left out.