THe love of a cow!

I love these pictures.  I get excited of thinking how much a friend can love a cow!

Maeve with her Gam and Papa

More about Maeve

Maeve who so appropriately named me this year, has sent somewonderful information about her, her inspiration, and her fun times at the Irish Fest.   Read on...

How exciting! The KC Festival and Feis was my lucky weekend!

I am 10 years old and am from the St. Louis area in Fenton MO. I am a homeschool student in 4th grade and an Irish dancer with Clarkson Irish Dance. I had a great time at the feis and received my first- 1st place in the novice level hornpipe.

I love going to the KC Festival every year with my family and my Gam and Papa. I also loved seeing the movie JIG with my friends.

I love the COWS, green fountains, dancing, music, food, vendors and the outdoor mass!
It has become a wonderful Labor Day tradition.
I wanted to also say that lime green is my favorite color---and that I love Ceili's green eye makeup!

I wear the same color to match my solo dress. Also--I think that Ceili's spirit was with me when I started dancing with this group Na Fianna at the Festival--I am wearing the lime green skirt : )

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p3pXmkwWvsU

I can't wait to meet Ceili!

Love,    Maeve

And I wanted to say that I am the luckiest cow in the world.  Here are some pics of Maeve and her family.

What is in a name?

I love my name so much.  It is just so, well, me!  I was so excited when I was told my name.  It fit like a hand in a glove....or tap shoes on a dancer.  This year was a wonderful year to be the Kansas City Irish Fest representative.  Granted, there were some crazy moments, but all in all I love seeing the joy in all the faces that pass by.  That joy is all that I live for.  Did anyone reading have some exciting moments to share?

I have my name!!!

My Name is Céilí.

In modern usage, a céilidh or ceilidh (English pronunciation: /'ke?l?/) is a traditional Gaelic social gathering, which usually involves playing Gaelic folk music and dancing. It originated in Ireland, but is now common throughout the Irish and Scottish diasporas

Ceili dances, or true ceili dances (fíor céili) are a popular form of folk dancing in Ireland. F Ceili dances are based on heys ("hedges" - pairs of lines facing), round dances, long dances and quadrilles, generally revived during the Gaelic revival in the first quarter of the twentieth century  and codified by the Irish Dancing Commission . These thirty dances form the basis for examination of ceili dance teachers.

The style of dance employed for ceili dance differs greatly from that used for set dance, and has more the appearance associated with the style of step dance. In particular, it emphasizes height and extension, with dancers generally dancing on their toes (but not "on point" as in ballet). A movement called "side-step" or "sevens and threes" with which dancers travel sideways to the direction they are facing is common, as are jig-step movements called the "rising step" or "grinding step". Ceili dances may be divided into figures, but a single type of tune is generally used for all the figures and the dancing does not pause between the figures.

Unlike square dance and round dance, ceili dances are generally not called by a caller: the flow of dance is defined by its name.

A 10 year old Irish dancer by the name of Maeve gave me my name.

I love you all!

The Irish fest might be over, but I hope the memories you made this weekend will last forever.

Magic Everywhere

I think that yesterday was an awesome day at Irish Fest.  It began with a scorching sun, so then I played a song to make the clouds roll over and give us some rain.

For all of you who missed the excitement today, please come today.  Everything will be just as special and just as fun!

I love you all.

????

If you are reading this, get yourself to the Irish Fest!  You might be missing something awesome!!!

The day has arrived!

Well, this evening is the beginning of the best weekend in KC!  I hope you all are as excited as I am!!!!  The Irish Fest Kids Team has been doing so much work to make this a special weekend for every person who attends.  I want to give a big KISS to all of those workers who, even now, are working tirelessly to make everything perfect for kids of all ages.  They do it all for you.  They get joy out of seeing you find joy.  Every smile, every laugh, every shout of excitement...it means the world to this crew.

Alas, it also means my days of being in the spotlight are ending.  I have enjoyed being your mascot for the year.  But, I am also terribly happy to be passing the torch on to such a beautiful, happy, dancing cow.  She is excited to be your cow this year.

I love you all.  And I wish you all the joy and bliss possible throughout the weekend. ;)

Children's Stage Schedule!!!

I have my hands on the schedule of events for Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.  I want everyone to be able to be there for the event that they find the most exciting.  Personally, I know all of our events are going to be amazing, so I would make a day of it and watch everything!!!  I can't believe we are only a day away.  I am counting down the hours!  A big version won't fit, but click the link and a screen size version will appear!!!!

 Click here for a larger version

The day is almost here!!!

I hope you all have gotten your costumes ready because there is only two more days until the festivities begin.  I also hope you are as excited as I am.  I think Irish Fest is going to shine this year.  The three days will be so full of magic and fun that I think anyone who goes won't be able to help but to feel the Irish spirit.

The group is frantically making sure everything is as good as it can be for you all.  The team is assembled and ready to help make the fun happen.

All of our guests for the Children's stage are set and excited to perform for you.

Our wackalaylees are stuffed and ready to be smacked by all who dare.

Our face painters are set and ready to transform you into whatever you want to be.

Our coloring pages are selected and ready to be transformed by all who love to color.

The bingo cards are prepared to give all who need some relaxing fun a chance to win.

And my successor, the next beautiful cow, is brimming with joy and anticipation for getting her name.

Larry the Chicken has been working out his neck, so he is ready to count those coins for all who make a guess.

The bouncy houses are set to be up and bouncerrific for all who need some fun bouncing around.

I hope all of you are brimming with anticipation and will have smiles aplenty throughout the days!

Mack

I said we were going to talk about our first Kid's Club Retiree, and really she just moved on to the Committee.   Mackenzie was the first member of the Kid's Club, a volunteer of Irish Fest for the past 9 years, and although she has moved on in her life in many aspects, like being away at school,  she will always be a Kid at Heart so with that distinguished past,  I salute her as does all the other kids in the club. 

She has had an amazing run as an Irish Fest Volunteer for the Children's Area and we know that run will continue, we just needed to stop and salute Mackenzie, as did the entire Kansas City Irish Fest Board and Committee with a gesture of appreciation for everything Mack has done, and her new transition to a bigger role if that is even possible.   Right now her mind must be on School and we will take her when we can get her, but even the day before she left for school, she spoke at Cristo Rey High School drumming up help, and a better spokesperson isn't possible.

This is Mack with Kate (mini Mom of the Kid's club) and their matching Face Painting!

Thanks Mack, we will see you after school on Friday!     

Countdown to Irish Fest

Irish Fest has a group of AMAZING Kids, believe it or not, known as the KCIF Kids's Club who work year round to bring Irish Fest to all the kids who will be joining us this weekend.   The kids this year divided and conquered special areas to provide their special touch and expertise:

Jake - In his spare time Jake is a student at Bishop Miege, who plays Baseball and Football, but his manager job at Irish Fest this year was and is to make sure all the kids have fun at the Giant Wackalaylee.   Jake with lots of help from other Kids' Club Members filled about 500 lbs of toys and candy yesterday at my house in their prep work.    Watch for Jake in his High King Garb at Irish Fest this year.

Kate - Kate is a dancer and a student at St Thomas More, and this year is in charge of the coloring contest.  She has chosen the coloring pages available for the contest and will be judging the entries and sending the winners their awards.   Kate is our mini-Manager in the Children's Main Tent, she kept us running last year.  Kate won't keep me as a Mascot,  she likes Larry, the green chicken the best.  You didn't know Larry was green, what color do you think an Irish Fest Chicken would be?

Mikayla and Maura - Maura is a Musical Thespian in the true sense and adds her flair in everything she does.  She moonlights as a student at St Elizabeth School.   While Mikayla has a passion for Basketball and Student Government.  She is a Freshman at Liberty Junior High School.    These two tag team managing the Merchandise that is for the Children's Area.   Their merchandise is wonderful as you saw examples yesterday and will see more this week.   Winners can exchange their "MOOLA" (money named from me!) for prizes or anyone can buy a fun remembrance of their time spent at Irish Fest.  These two young ladies might break out in a tune for you.

Colleen and Kelsey -  Kelsey is also at St Elizabeth School while Colleen is at Holy Spirit.  These two young ladies share a passion for Irish Dancing.   We will lose their help while they dance and make everyone smile at the Feis this year.  And they will make you smile as they are managing KC Irish Fest Bingo this year.   Look for help from Patrick (Colleen's brother) who is a new member of the Kid's Club.   Just to look at these two lovely young people will make you smile, but they are your key to winning at Bingo, and no, bribery just won't work.

Cassie - Cassie is our young woman who shows us all her determination and will as she is playing for the boy's football team at Olathe this year.   She is a versatile player and must be rather fast for the positions that they have her in.   Cassie is about art, and has her typical brilliant ideas that she shares as our  Liaison Manager with Artrageous.   She and  Miss Julie of Artrageous are soul mates.   You saw the crafts they will be offering in an earlier blog...everyone will be making a craft this year.  Cassie also knows the words, not just to my Irish Tunes, but to all tunes, amazing young lady, and we are tending to her football bruises for Irish Fest.

Joseph -  Joseph has a strong bit of theatrical in him as well, and may someday be on stage performing for us all.  He has a bit of the comic in him as the Irish would say.  This Rockhurst student is in charge of the Children's stage and the Royal Procession, he is also the coordinator of the Royal Costume Contest this year with KC Pumpkin Patch.   Watch handsome Joseph lead the way with our newly proclaimed royalty in the Procession this year, you can't miss him.

Q - Q or Nathanial is a proclaimed expert at WII Games and after a conversation with another expert while working to help load the Wackalaylees yesterday,  I am not going to go head to head with him in any game. And I thought I was good at these games, not compared to Q.   Q attends school in Olathe, and is managing Volunteer Relations for the Children's area this year.  What does that mean?   He is taking good care of the Volunteers and making extra sure they have water and breaks!   Q will be another of the High Kings at Irish Fest.

Maddie - A sophomore at St Teresa's Academy (the original STA, although we love you St Thomas Aquinas), Maddie is an artist.   She is documenting the Children's Area this year through her pictures and words, you will find her in most any of the Children's many sites, she may be helping the area for awhile, but she will certainly be gathering information about all the things going on in the Children's many areas at Irish Fest and capturing the fun times on her camera.  Her pictures will capture the essence of all these young peoples' endeavors and work they have done over the past months, and specifically over the past two weeks, not to mention the week coming up!

All of these members of the Kid's Club are simply BRILLIANT!   And they are excited to share with you the results of their very hard work and the hours of helping they did to bring you the Best Irish Fest ever for the Children's Area.  Collectively, this remarkable group has a "WAY" better than Average GPA at school and in my book they are at the top of all Charts for successful, gorgeous, talented, competitive, bright and plain old very nice KIDS!  

Please take a minute and meet these KCIF Kids Club, they are the ARD RI'  at Irish Fest this year, you will see it on their shirts.

And look for our Junior Club Members, we have Brendan, Maley, Alex, Seamus and Charlie as our up and coming group.   We have some wee ones as well with Kate and Lily and some special Merchandise that our very special Merchandise Committee Member Ron Einbender got for just our wee ones!   Thanks Ron!

Tomorrow we will talk about our first retired Kid's Club Member!   

Irish Fest Fun

The things you can purchase at the Irish Fest kids's tent are awesome.  They vary in range from one dollar to several, but each item is to remind you of Ireland.  You can get jewelry like the head piece my friend was wearing while playing bingo.  You can get dolls.  You can get coloring books.  You can get hats.  You can get wrist bands.  You can get Irish sports balls.  You can get swords (they even have light up swords!), so you can be like King Nuadu with his Sword of Light. 

Remember when I mentioned my friend Frank the monkey?  He is actually a plush friend I got from the people at Irish Fest to snuggle with during the storms.  He is the coolest monkey I have ever seen.  Let's face it...who doesn't love a monkey?

My friend Frank, the Irish monkey...beard and all!

I also got a hat for myself.  I think it adds some style to my wardrobe.

This hat makes me feel like I am captain of a parade!

 These are just a few examples of what I have seen there.  However, I know the Irish Fest gang work tirelessly to come up with new and exciting things for people to purchase.  Or if you win at bingo, you can use Irish Fest money to get something for free!  That way you can bring a little bit of Irish fun back home with you to remember your time at Irish Fest forever.

Who doesn't love a good game?

Well, I think it is time to talk more about what you get to do at Irish Fest...

My favorite thing to do in my free time is play board games with my friends.  It is time to compete (because who doesn't love to win at something?); it is a time to gab with friends; and it is a time to learn.  Fortunately, all of these things can happen at Irish Fest bingo.  Come with a group of your friends or even your parents, grab a game board, and pull up a chair.  In the kids' tent we have special Irish bingo.  Instead of just numbers on a board like in normal bingo, my friends at the Irish Fest made special bingo cards.  They are filled with pictures and images of all things Irish.  Some of the pics are recognizable like a shamrock, but others are people or places famous in Ireland.  For these pics, the bingo master will hold up a copy of the picture and then give you some details as to why that picture is in Irish bingo. 

                                         

      This is a picture of a friend of mine playing bingo at Irish Fest.

   She got her face painted by our amazing artists and then settled in to play some bingo!

So, you can play a game, gab with friends, and learn...but that isn't all. We play until we have two winners of bingo. Those winners get $5 in Irish Fest money to spend at our Irish goodies booth. But, you will have to wait until tomorrow to find out what is at that booth. My friend didn't win bingo, but she did buy some of the goodies at the booth. The stuff she got was awesome!

How Fionn got more magic...

Where did I leave off?  Hmm, okay so Fionn was finally able to know where his uncle was, right?

Well, he went to his uncle and his uncle was living with the rest of the people who refused to live under the rule of the sons of Morda.  They were happy when Fionn arrived because they knew this was someone they could follow.  Fionn knew he still was not prepared to lead the men, so he went under the service of a poet Finegas.  Because Fionn wass hiding out from his enemies, he took on the alias of Deimne.  So even Finegas did not know the true identity of his apprentice.

Fionn worked for Finegas for seven years because he was hungry for the knowledge that Finegas could give him.  Finegas lived by a river because this river contained the Salmon of Knowledge.  There was a prophecy that Finegas would be the one to catch this fish, so he would fish the river every day with the hope that he would capture this fish.  After five years of fishing, Finegas finally caught the fish!  He gave the fish to his apprentice to cook, but warned him not to eat the fish for that honor belonged to Finegas.  As Fionn cooked the fish, he turned it in the pan and he accidently burnt his thumb.  Naturally, Fionn immediately put his thumb in his mouth to help ease the pain of the burn.

The salmon of knowledge from http://www.circleofancestors.org/2008/03/the-salmon-of-w.html

When Fionn brought the fish to Finegas, he was asked if he had eaten the fish.  Fionn told him that he had burnt his thumb and put it in his mouth to relieve the pain.  Finegas replied, "You name is not Deimne, it is Fionn and the full prophecy spoke of you eating the fish that I, Finegas, would catch."  Finegas then asked Fionn to eat the entire fish.  When Fionn ate the fish, he gained the knowledge of the nine hazels of wisdom from the Well of Wonder which lies beneath the sea.


From that moment on, Fionn only had to put his thumb in his mouth and he would know whatever knowledge he wished to know.   From that wisdom, Fionn knew he was ready to face his destiny.

Man, I wish I had thumbs.  Then I could put them in my mouth and see if I get smarter from it!

The younger years of Fionn McCool

As Fionn was wandering around after he got his name, he decided to search for his uncle Crimhall.  However, because he had never been anywhere, he didn't know where his uncle lived let alone in which direction to wander.  Like the boys who gave him his name, he met people in his travels who would change his life.

One day he came upon a maiden.  The maiden was crying tears of blood.  Fionn could not ignore a woman in such distress, so he approached her and asked how he could help her.  The maiden told him that her son was killed ruthlessly by a warrior who lived nearby.  This warrior killed her son for no reason.  Fionn vowed to the maiden that he would hunt down the killer and avenge her son's death, for anything that could make a woman cry tears of blood must be evil. 

Fionn found the warrior and they battled.  Fionn, having been given such great instruction by the maidens who raised him, easily defeated the warrior.  As the warrior lay dying, Fionn touched a bag that the warrior had tied to him.  When he touched the bag, Fionn was struck with the knowledge that this bag belonged to Fionn's father.  And, he knew that this warrior was the man who first struck his father in the battle to the death. 

Fionn avenged the woman's son and his father.  His reward was the bag, which contained magical treasures that only one of the owner's blood could use.  So, Fionn was granted wisdom, knowledge, and a little bit of magic with the bag.  Included in this knowledge was the whereabouts of Fionn's uncle.  Finally, his days of roaming were over.  He knew where to find his destiny.



More about Fionn McCool

Fionn had many stories to share with me.  You see Fionn had a hard life.  But, this hard life granted him the courage and knowledge to grow up to become a powerful king.

When Fionn was but a few months old, his mother knew she had to hide the baby.  Fionn's father had been killed by a group called the sons of Morna.  Fionn's mother knew that those people would kill her son if they found him. 
So, she sent him into the woods to live with two women.  One woman was Bodhmall, who was a druid.  The other was Liath Luachra, who was a powerful warrior and was also a trainer of warriors.  As Fionn was growing up, he had no name.  Although he was nameless, these women worked tirelessly to train the boy to be everything he needed to be.  They taught him wisdom and strength, and then devised tests for him to constantly learn and prove himself.  They taught him to swim and be part of the underwater world.  They taught him of the animals in the forest and how to master them.

Because of all the tests that he mastered, the women declared him to be a mighty champion even though he had not fought in a battle.  However, the time came when he had to leave for he wanted revenge on those who killed his father.

When the boy began his travels, he met up with some youths who were swimming.  They challenged him to a swimming match.  Because of all the boy had learned from the women, he easily beat the others.  However, they were grumpy at losing.  As a way to mock the boy, they called him Fionn, which means fair or bright, to mock the paleness of his skin.

However, the boy liked the name Fionn.  And so, he decided to keep the name and be called that forevermore.  Hah to them!  They gave him a name that would remain legendary!!!

Cool Poster

The folks at Trilogy sent me this poster for the presentation they are doing at Irish Fest.  I don't know about you, but this poster gets me really excited for the performance.  And, is it just me or do some of those princesses look familiar?  I bet I could guess some names.

Wackalaylee

What is wackalayee?  It is one of the most fun and anticipated games we play at Irish Fest.  It's when all the kids get to line up and take whacks at a giant, candy filled Piñata!!!

The Irish Fest kids club came up with the name.  We challenged them to think of a title that sounds both Irish and fun.  Someone told me they were thinking of the word shillelagh, which would be pronounced SHI-LAY-LEE in our tongue.  A shillelagh is an Irish club.  Since one needs a club to whack the piñata, the name evolved from there.  I like wackalaylee because it is a fun word to say, like how Larry likes the word blog.

There aren't many times when it is okay to take a swing at something...baseball, tennis, and maybe some other sports.  But, this is the only time when you get to wear a blindfold, spin around until dizzy, then take a swing at something...all for the bonus of candy!

These are what the wackalaylees look like this year...a crown for the High Kings of Ireland - it's almost a shame to break them open because they are so pretty, not quite a shame because I loooooove candy but almost!

We also make sure everyone who is participating gets a bag.  The moment the wackalaylee is broken you had better be ready to swoop in and get all the candy you can grab!  Grabbing the loot is half the fun!!!

Wackalaylee is run throughout the day.   We have scheduled time for the Wee Ones (ages 2-6) and scheduled times for the 7-12 Year olds, where the wacking gets fierce.    By the time the fest ends, we will have wacked 18 Wackalaylees. 

 

We have aprox 500 lbs of candy plus some surprises in each Wackalaylee, so look at the schedule of events and make sure you don't miss it! 

 

Good luck to all!!!!

More on Irish Dance

Ever since Riverdance captured the hearts of so many, Irish dancing has made its presence known at every opportunity.  One type of the Irish dancing steps is called céilí.  Céilí is a term that is often used for a social gathering that features Irish music and dance.  However, it is also a specific Irish dance.  It can be performed in a long line of couples or in circles.  It looks like a fun way to dance.  I wish I knew how to do it. 

There also hardshoe and softshoe step dancing.  When the dancers have their hardshoes on, I feel like the dancers are beating their own drums.  The steps are like their own music.  It is a powerful dance.  The soft shoe dancing is a fast form of step dancing.  The girls in their softshoes appear to be floating along like a fairy.  Their legs and feet move so quickly and their jumps are so high that the dancers appear light as a feather.  Knowing how my legs move, I can only imagine how much training and work it takes for the dancers to give the appearance of happily floating along.

One of my other favorite parts of Irish dancing is the outfits the girls wear.  They are spectacular.  Each dancer has her own mix of colors and designs (unless she is a part of a group - then they all match).  The girls also make their hair as curly as possible.  From what I have seen, curly hair and spectaular dress are a must for competitive Irish dancing.

A picture from a the championship of Irish dancing in Belfast.  The dresses are gorgeous!

If you have never gotten the pleasure of seeing Irish dancing, then I am pleased to tell you that we will have Irish dancers on the kids' stage!  Dancers from the Driscoll School of Irish Dance will be performing on Saturday at 4:30 and on Sunday at 4:15.  Make sure you cheer them on as they perform for you!!!

Crazy nights in Kansas City

Before I talk about all things Irish, I would just like to say that I hope all you are keeping safe during these crazy nights of storms.  My friend Larry the Chicken actually got dinged by a tree on Friday night.  Fortunately, he only got some minor scrapes and bruises. He was more shaken than hurt.   And, he has great friends like me and Frank the Monkey to take care of him.  But, I have seen a bit of all the trees that have come down, so I hope everyone is okay.  Stay safe during these storms!  And if you need a hug because of the scary lightening or thunder, don't hesitate to turn to mom or dad for a hug.  They might need one too.

Now back to Ireland....

Because our new cow is obviously a fan of dance, I thought I would talk some about Irish dance.  I think because of people like Michael Flatley and shows like "Riverdance", Irish dance has gained the popularity such a graceful dance deserves.

For those of you who may have seen dancers around, you might have wondered why the dancers tend to keep their arms rigid along their sides during the dance.  I don't know if this is just a story or the truth, but I heard a whisper about why Irish dancers do that.  I heard that long ago, when British people has invaded Ireland, the King decided to punish the Irish people by prohibiting from dancing.  Stupid meanie.  He just wanted to prove his authority by taking away something fun from the people of Ireland.  However, the Irish people were stronger than that.   Back in those days, most cottages and barns had a special doors.  The kind of door where a person could swing just the top open to see who was at the door before opening the entire door.  These doors were on barns so cows like me could peek their heads out and get some sun and fresh air during the day.  Well, in order to deny the mean king without getting themselves in trouble, the Irish would use those doors as their protection.  A British officer or tax collector would come to the door and an Irish person would swing open the top only.  As long as the British officer was there (usually being meanies), the Irish person would hold his or her upper body still and rigid.  Behind the closed bottom half, the Irish person would move his or her feet in dance.    It was a way of saying, "You can try to stop me from dancing, but my Irish feet will keep moving for as long as they are able."

A scene from Riverdance...see how the dancers often keep their arms straight down

Way to be sneaky and still keep their fun without getting in trouble!!

Again, I don't know if that story is true, but I like to believe it is.  Because nothing should keep a person from dancing!!!!

More Irish Fest Info!!!

So, as many of you know, I have told you all about how the High Royalty of Ireland granted us the ability to be Royalty for week of Irish Fest.  I also encourage all to dress up accordingly.  What I didn't mention was that we are going to have costume contests and parades during which the Best King, Best Queen, Best Knight, and Best Princess will be named.

On Friday at 6:45 everyone who is participating will need to meet at the Kids' Stage.  Then we will pick the best costumes and those kids will be the HIGHEST Royalty of the night!  By then, my successor will be in place, but I hope to peek in and see how fabulous everyone looks.

On Saturday and Sunday at 5:45, everyone will meet at the stage for the costume contest, but there will be a bit more of a boon for my friends.  We will have the costume contest and name the four winners just like the night before.  Afterwards, we will have our Parade of Royalty.  Because of the royalty involved, this year's parade will be to the beat of a drum.  That way everyone you pass will know they are in the presence of royalty.  We will also have both large and smaller flags, so everyone can wave the flag in pride.

Parades have always been a statement of boldness.  A statement saying WE ARE HERE AND WE ARE AWESOME.  And I know as you all parade through Irish Fest, everyone will know the superiority of my royal friends.

I am getting exciting just thinking about how spectacular everyone will look!!!

Fionn McCool and his smart dogs

Here is another story I heard of Fionn...

Fionn and his warriors have many adventures and win many battles. When Fionn is not with the Fianna, however, he prefers the company of his magical hounds, Bran and Sceolan. His hounds, like himself, are the product of magical marriage, their mother being a fairy-woman.


One of Fionn's most famous adventures occurs during a hunting expedition with Bran and Sceolan, during which he encounters a beautiful red fawn. Bran and Sceolan are some pretty smart dogs.  As much as Fionn desires this deer, however, his enchanted hounds balk and refuse to attack it. He watches, amazed, as his hounds joyfully cavort about the meadow with his would-be prey.

A disappointed Fionn finally gives up and heads for home, but the deer follows. As the hunting party enters the gate of Fionn's estate, the red deer suddenly transforms into a beautiful woman. The woman is Sadbh (“Doe”), who has labored under a curse for refusing the advances of a love-struck druid. Because Fionn's hounds recognized her predicament, the curse is lifted. Fionn and Sadbh fall in love and marry, and Sadbh soon becomes pregnant.


Unfortunately, because Sadbh is innocent and trusting, she is lured away once more by the wicked enchanter and forced to return to the forest with him. Fionn searches endlessly for his missing bride, but he is never able to recover her from the wily druid. One day, seven years after Sadbh's disappearance, Fionn is once again on a hunting expedition, when his party encounters a strange boy who cannot speak. Fionn's hounds once again intervene, and the boy is taken into Fionn's care. As he learns to speak, it is revealed that the boy is the son of Fionn and Sadbh, cared for over the years by his mother, the red deer. Fionn names his son Oisin, “Small Deer,” and the boy grows up to become an accomplished bard and a distinguished member of the Fianna.

The lesson from this story is...ALWAYS LISTEN TO YOUR DOGS!  They know what is what in this world.  We just might not always understand what they are telling us!

Chickens, Irish, and Finn McCool...

I hope you all enjoyed the humor of my friend Larry.  He is a funny chicken and a great friend to fill in for me when I wasn't feeling well.  When I read that he admitted to not being Irish, it made me think of something to tell you all.  You DO NOT need to be Irish to enjoy Irish Fest.  In my kids club, we are happy to see any and all kids enjoying themselves.  We love all kids.  You might learn a thing or two Irish, but you don't have to be Irish to enjoy reading or listening to stories of Ireland.

Anyway, today I want to tell you one of many stories of Fionn mac Cumhaill or Fionn McCool as he is known in English.  Pretty cool name, huh?  I am going to start with one of his later stories because it tells of Fionn coming to Tara and by helping the King, he gets his own people, whom he dubs the Fianna.

A Story of Fionn...

After many adventures, Fionn finds himself back in Tara, at the court of the Irish High King, Cormac mac Art, near the time of Samhain. Instead of the holiday preparations he expects, Fionn finds the kingdom in an uproar of panic. During Fionn's absence, Cormac's kingdom has been plagued by a rogue specter, a wandering fairy of the Tuatha Dé Danann. This is Aillen mac Midna, a musician who appears every year at Samhain. Aillen always approaches as a musician — at first by invoking the king's hospitality, but later by charming his way through the doors. He then plays a melody of enchantment, putting all of the court to sleep, after which he roams the countryside all night, breathing fire and laying waste to the kingdom.

Fionn offers his services to King Cormac, offering to guard the land against their supernatural enemy in return for a request granted. Like some others, Fionn is possessed of a magical spear created in the Otherworld. At the fairy's approach, Fionn uses the spear to prod himself awake, avoiding the sleep-spell. When Aillen opens his mouth to loose his flames, Fionn lets fly his infallible spear and dispatches the murderous fairy with a blow to the back. His quest fulfilled, Fionn returns to King Cormac for his boon: He requests the leadership of the Fianna, a force of 20,000 men.


The Fianna are an elite force of warriors, highly skilled in poetry as well as in the arts of war. The members of this small army are skilled bards as well as accomplished fighters. Additionally, the warriors are subjected to extraordinary tests of strength and skill — a man wishing to join the Fianna must be able to leap over a stave of his own height, dive under one the height of his knee, and pluck a thorn from his foot — all while running paces. Another test involves burying the candidate up to his waist in sand, where he must defend himself from spear-wielding warriors using only a staff and a wooden shield.  These warriors were the best of their time.

Fionn mac Cumhaill, illustration by Stephen Reid.

Larry the Chicken

Hey everybody. I've got some sad news today. Moolarkey is feeling a bit under the weather today, so I've been asked to fill in.

Who am I? Well allow me to introduce myself: I am Larry the Chicken! Da da da daaaaaaaaaa!!! I just flew into town, and boy are my wings tired! Ha!...ha ha...sorry, I've never done this before, and I'm a bit nervous.

So, yeah, this is my first time writing a blog...blog...blog. Have you ever noticed that "blog" is a weird word? Go ahead, say it.

Blog.

See, I told you. And it gets weirder the more you say it.

Blog. Blog. Blog. Blogblogblogblogblogblog.

Oh, quick note, sorry if this gets posted a little later than usual today. You see, I'm not a very fast typist, seeing as I'm a chicken, and I have no hands. In fact, you might say that I'm a fan of the "hunt-and-peck" typing method. Ha ha ha. Sorry. Chicken humor.

Ok, so, not only am I new at this, but I'm also not Irish.

I know, shocking, right? What business does a non-Irish chicken have on this blog? Well, I'll tell you. Every year at Irish Fest, they have a game called the "Guess N' Tell Wishin' Well." It's a great big container filled with Irish coins, and all the kids get to guess how many coins are in the container. Whoever guesses closest to the right number wins a prize (I'll let you in on a little secret:  The prize is a dragon!).

This is what you can win!!!

But before they can give away the prize, somebody has to count all those coins, and that's where I come in. You see, the container for the coins only has a small opening, and my tiny chicken head is just the right size to reach inside and pull out the coins, one at a time.

I don't actually add up how many coins there are though. I leave that to Moolarkey and the other cows. You know, because they're good at "COW-nting."

I've gotten a look at this year's container, and there's like eighty bazillion coins in there. Or maybe a little less. I don't know. I'm a chicken, and I'm not so good with numbers.

So anyway, if you like games, or prizes (especially dragons) be sure to stop by and try out the "Guess N' Tell Wishin' Well!"

Ok, I've been typing for like, four hours (I'm not a speedy typist, remember) so I think I'm going to go take a nap. This is Larry the Chicken saying "I'm flyin' the coop!"

Táin Bó Cúailnge – The Cattle Raid of Cooley

The Cattle Raid of Cooley is a legendary epic written in prose that tells of a war that all began because of a prize bull.

The war was one against the region of Ulster by the region of Connacht.  Queen Medb and her husband Ailill intended to steal the bull, named Donn Cuailnge.  He is a brown bull like our Irish cow this year!  Of course, this bull wasn’t just any old bull.  It was a special, magical bull.    

Then there was Medb.  She was a proud queen and was determined to be every bit as powerful as her husband.  One day Queen Medb and King Ailill were comparing wealth.  Queen Medb determined that the only thing keeping her from being equal to her husband was owning a magical bull like her husband did. 

Queen Medb [source: painted by J. Leyendecker, 1916]

Actually, the magical bull that King Ailill owned was originally in Queen Medb’s flock.  However, the bull did not like belonging to a woman, so the bull moved himself over to her husband’s herd.  Well, Medb knew that there was the every-bit-as-powerful-as-her-husband's-magic-bull, the Ulster bull Donn Cuailnge.

The queen sent messengers over to the county to offer to rent the bull for a year.  She also told them that if they are denied, then they are to take the bull by force.  At first, the county agreed to let her rent it.  Unfortunately, her messengers get drunk after talking over the deal, and they told the others that they were going to steal the bull if they couldn’t borrow it.  Naturally, the deal fell apart when the other side heard those claims.

So Queen Medb raised an army to capture the bull.  At that time, the men of the rival county Ulster had been cursed by a goddess and were too ill to fight.  The only person well enough to fight was the seventeen year old boy Cú Chulainn. 

Poor Cú Chulainn, who was both helped and hindered by various gods and goddesses, lost the bull to Queen Medb.  However, eventually, the Ulstermen began to rouse from their sickness, so they could partake in the final battle.  As bad as she is for stealing someone’s bull, I will say it was pretty cool that even Queen Medb fought in the battle.  Although Medb was forced to retreat in the end, she did manage to take the bull home with her. 

Alas, this tale has as sad of an ending as I have ever known.  When the two magical bulls were near each other, they began fighting.  Eventually, the stolen bull Donn Cuailnge killed the other bull.  But, he was also injured badly enough that after some roaming, he too died. 

[source: painted by Brian Boylan]

Name that Cow!!!!

More Irish Fest news...I wanted to introduce you all to our new cow for this year.  She is gorgeous - makeup and all.  You can tell she deserves to be a Royal Cow.  I need you all to start putting your thinking caps on right now.  As you all know, she relies on you to give her name.  And, as Royalty, she needs a name worthy of a princess.  She also is a lover of music and dance (in case you couldn't tell from her photo).  She will be happily dancing her time away until she gets that name.  Maybe if you all listen to some rockin' Irish music, the music will help inspire you for her name.

More Kansas City Irish Fest News!!!

We are excited to have to the Theater of the Imagination group with us at Irish Fest.  Theater of the Imagination is a group run by a group of local actors and theater aritsans.  They encourage theater in kids by appealing to kids' imaginations. 


On Friday at 8:30 and Sunday at 8:00, the Theater will be holding workshops to encourage participation from the Irish Fest Kids.  They will have fun costumes and props.  After they get dressed up, the kids will be able to act out scenes in front of a camera.  Here is one of my favorite pictures that I found of kids participating in Theater of the Imagination fun.

Obviously, with the green glasses, they are Irish cows!!!

On Saturday at 11:00, Theater of the Imagination director Miles McMahon will be performing a fun, educational and wacky show, "The High Kings of Ireland:  The Musical"!!!  I don't know about you, but I can't wait to hear the songs.  Plus, young people will be encourage to jump on stage and be part of the play!  Like the workshops, the play will be filled with costumes, props, and lots of drama!!

I hope you all will join the fun.

If you want to learn more about Theater of the Imagination, you can visit their website at http://dramakc.com/

Kincora - Ceann Cora

Brian built his royal resident in 1002 after he had united the people of Ireland under one High King.  He reigned supreme from this palace for twelve years.  He situated the castle on a hill by the town of Killaloe.  The castle was not far from his fort I spoke about yesterday.  He liked to build his residences in this area because he was born and raised in Killaloe. 

During Brian’s reign Kincora was the capital of Ireland because Brian had the power to declare it so.  Brian made the Vikings located in Dublin and Limerick pay a yearly tribute of 500 TONS of wine for Brian’s cellars.  He really didn’t need all that wine.  He just wanted his cellars and stocks to be bursting, so he could show proof of his great rule over Ireland. 

I told Brian of the poem that I had once read of his great Kincora, which I recited for him (with my greatest poetic voice of course!!)

Where, O Kincora?

by James Clarence Mangan (1803-1849; Dublin)

O, where, Kincora is Brian the Great? And where is the beauty that once was thine? O, where are the princes and nobles that sate At the feast in the halls and drank the red wine?                              Where, O Kincora? O, where Kincora, are the valorous lords? O, whither, thou hospitable, are they gone? O, where are the Dalcassians of the golden swords? And where are the warriors Brian led on?                              Where, O Kincora? Where are those heroes of royal birth, Who plundered no churches and broke no trust. 'Tis weary for me to be living on earth When they, O Kincora, lie low in the dust.                              Low, O Kincora! O, never again will princes appear To rival the Dalcassians of the cleaving swords. I can never dream of meeting afar or near In the east or the west such heroes and lords!                              Never, Kincora! For he was Freedom's champion, one of those The few in number who had not outstept The charter to chastise which she bestows On such as wield her weapons.                              Forever, Kincora!

The residence of Brian Boru was destroyed by his enemies.  However, a church was built in the area where some of the bases of the walls remained.  The church is called St. Lua, and Brian found it fitting that a church now remains in the place of this rule.

Beal Boru, the fort of King Brian Boru

King Brian wanted me to share with you the majesty of his fort, Beal Boru.  King Brian’s fort is located in a serene and spectacular setting – it stands on a spur of land where a lake Lough Derg narrows into the river Shannon. 

The name of this fort translates into the “port of the cattle tribute” because King Brian paid his respects to us cows!  Cattle designated as tributes for the chiefs of the land were driven across the river Shannon at this point.  These chiefs were King Brian’s greatest knights.  He kept them close and gave them cattle as their due respect. 

I told Brian that I remembered reading that archeologists have recovered over 800 stone implements – like stone hammers, stone axes, and stone tools for fishing – have been found in this area.  Also, some coins and pottery shards have been found.  Therefore, Ireland today still knows of the importance of this area.  I assured him that even when some Normans tried building a castle in the place of Beal Boru a few hundred years after the time of King Brian, the Irish drove them off before they could complete it.  Although we can only guess what it looks like, artists have tried to draw a sketch of what they believe the stronghold to look like.

And this next picture is the beauty of the area in which the fort was located.

And this was only his fort, he next told me about his castle Kincora or Ceann Coradh.

Our Magician

Our Magician we have performing at Irish Fest is Keith Leff.  He comes to us from Magicreations.  He was recently voted "Best Magician" of Kansas City, so I thought he would be perfect for representing the Hight Kings!  He is also becoming one of the most reknowned magicians in the country.  He has been written up in the newspapers numerous times.  He also has made tv appearances on channels 4, 5, and 9. 

He will also be giving the audience royal treatment by asking some people in the audience to come up on stage.  He will also be roaming around and perform strolling magic, so you might get to see him close up.  He will be performing on the Kid's stage Friday evening at 5:30, Saturday at 8:00 PM, and Sunday at 2:00 PM.

I can guarantee he will amaze and mystify all! You will see things you won't believe!!  I hope you are as excited as I am!!!

If you would like to learn more about him, you can visit his website at http://www.magicreations.net/



Magic of Ireland

Magic was as important to the people of old Ireland as eating, drinking, and, of course having, cows was.  Magic was the way in which the people could live the way they did, especially with a magical healer.  If you had a magical healer, then you could fight all day.  Then, if you got hurt, you would have a Druid magician at there to heal you so you could feast all night.

At times, the Druid wizard was treasured as much as a king.  They were the closest advisors to the king. They were lawmakers, advisors, and magicians.  Magic was even part of the four treasures of Ireland, for each treasure was granted a special magical ability. 

Other than the Druids of the Celts, there were also banshees, fairies, leprechauns...the magic of Ireland was everywhere.

Because the High Kings of Ireland place such a great importance on these magical people, they wanted to make sure that magic was being represented at the Irish Fest of Kansas City.  A magician is what they asked me for, so a magician is what I got. 

The importance of a shield…

A shield would bear the design of the coat of arms of a family in the time of the High Kings of Ireland.  The design would tell others your family and the state to which you owe allegiance.  One of the most important reasons for these was to let you know who your friends were and who your enemies were.

 A shield would protect you from swords in battle, but also keep your allies from attacking you.  Plus, since you carry it with you always, it would be your display to the world of who you were.

 Because the Kings recognized the importance of the shields, they asked me to make sure all of the Kansas City royalty on the weekend of Labor Day has a shield. 

I wanted everyone to get a look at the design of the shield.  That way, you all can put your thinking caps on for how you would like to decorate your sword at Irish Fest.  Of course, since you are Irish Fest royalty, my friends inluded that on the design!  We will have the shields available for coloring at Irish Fest.  Then, carry your shield with pride.  We are excited to see how you decorate yours!!!

The Legacy of the Four Treasures Continues...

http://www.whats-your-sign.com/celtic-symbols-tuatha-de-danann.html

As I continued being introduced to more royalty, I also continued to get many fascinating stories.  Another king I met was a man by the name of Slaine.  This was one of the first men I met, instead of the Man-gods I have talked about previously.

Slaine was not noble born, but he was handsome and strong.  As he developed his fighting skills, his reputation for being a superior man spread.  Unfortunately, his vanity led him to do something that got him thrown out of the clan. 

Slaine was forced to roam the land with his only companion being a dwarf name Ukko.  As Slaine and Ukko were travelling around, a portal to the world of the gods opened.  Slaine walked through and was greeted by Lugh.  Lugh told Slaine that he was destined to become the High King of Tir na nog.  Because of his background and lot in life, Slaine laughed at Lugh and told him there was no way Slaine was king material.  He had nothing, so how could he possibly be a king? 

Lugh, being a patient and understanding, continued by telling Slaine that if he collected the four magical treasures of the people, then he would be king.  All of the treasures had never been brought.  They were brought to Ireland throughout the time of the god kings, but the treasures were never together all at once. 

At that moment, the god Dagda appeared and gave Slaine the cauldron.  He told Slaine that since the gods helped him get started, and then Slaine should succeed.  Slaine still doubted, but he wasn’t about to argue with the gods, so he began his search.

Slaine began by returning to his clan.  While Slaine was away, the clan had come into hard times.  The chieftain would demand high taxes from the people.  If they could not pay, the chieftain would punish them by cutting off their noses. Well, the people had fallen on hard times and were getting punished often.  This made the chieftain very sad.  It turned out that is witch wife was making him do these things.  He did like hurting his people.  So, he chose to be sacrificed.  When a chieftain was sacrificed, his blood would roll toward one person, and that was the only way a non-royal could become chieftain.  On the day of the sacrifice, Slaine reappeared and the blood rolled toward him.  That night, for the first time in years, the clan was able to eat a feast for Slaine was able to provide for them with the cauldron of Dagda…

After a long and arduous task, Slaine gathered the four treasured items of Tir na nog; the Cauldron of Dagda, The Spear of the Lugh, the Sword of the Nuada and Lia Fail, the stone of destiny. He already had the Cauldron of Dagda, and he set out getting the Spear and the Sword from the chieftains that possessed them. Because each of the different chieftains of Ireland held the treasures, that is why there was no High King.  The Sword is the giant rending blade that can kill the mightiest foe with one blow, which Slaine got from King Gann. The Spear of Lugh was his own mighty weapon that when released you can name a target and it will fly from your hands and plunge into your opponent, killing it instantly. Reluctantly King Rudraige handed over the Spear and Slaine went in search of the Stone of Destiny.

When Slaine finally found it was in the hands of the avanc, the last of a race of monstrous beaver folk and Slaine had to kill it to get the stone. The stone is said in the ancient legends to shriek out a long wailing note if the rightful High King of Tir na nog stands on it with the other four treasured items.  Slaine let all the chieftains go first, but no roar came.  Then Slaine stood with all the treasures on the Stone of Destiny, and, sure enough, it roared out.  Hence, Slaine was the High King who first united all the treasures.

The Four Treasures of Ireland Mandala by Marg Thomson

The cauldron of Dagda or the cauldron of bounty

From Muirias was brought the cauldron of Dagda;

No company would go from it unsatisfied.

Lebor Gabal Erenn

The last of the four treasures of the Tuatha Dé Danann is the Cauldron of Dagda.  In Celtic daily life, the cauldron was the most important item of a house.  It was used for cooking, brewing, dyeing, and working leather.  It was usually found in the center of home for ease of access.  Therefore, it became a symbol of the center of the cosmos.

Dagda was a god of the old who was, amongst other things, the god of excess and abundance.  Because Dagda was known for these things, it makes sense that his cauldron would be able to feed any number of people.  However, this cauldron was also known for being able to resurrect slain warriors or heal any injured man.

This cauldron in Tralee park, was designed and made by the the local and talented artist Paula O' Sullivan from Tralee

As we learned yesterday from the Bard, being able to house and feed people who were in need was important to the Irish of yore.  If you denied or were unable to feed someone, you might get mocked and inflicted with boils!

Also, the cauldron was placed in front of the Stone of Destiny.  So, when the stone roared with the announcement of the new king, the goddess Danu would emerge from the cauldron in order to crown the new king! 

And those are the Four Treasures of the Tuatha Dé Danann.  I hope you all understand, as I was made to, how important these objects were to the high kings of Ireland.