KCIF Kid's Club

Irish Thought for February 20....

2012-02-20T03:12:00.000-08:00

Irish-American Religion

By the late 19th century, the Irish had become very prominent in the American Catholic Church's leadership, with 7.3 million Catholics in the United States and the majority of bishops being of Irish descent. At the end of the 20th century, Irish-Americans comprised 35 percent of Catholic priests, although only 17 percent of American Catholics were of Irish descent.

Irish Thought for February 19....

2012-02-19T08:15:00.000-08:00

Irish-American Movies

Darby O'Gill and the Little People

A wily old man matches wits with the King of Leprechauns and helps play matchmaker for his daughter and the strapping lad who has replaced the older man as caretaker of their land. Starring Albert Sharpe, Janet Munro, and Sean Connery.

Yup, that is Sean Connery before his James Bond days made him famous everywhere. He even sings in this movie! Not only are there leprechauns, but a banshee makes her way toward the old man.

Irish Thought for February 18....

2012-02-18T05:25:00.000-08:00

Irish Lore

Leprechaun

Leprechaun

Irish fairy. Looks like a small, old man (about 2 feet tall), often dressed like a shoemaker, with a cocked hat and a leather apron. According to legend, leprechauns are aloof and unfriendly, live alone, and pass the time making shoes...they also possess a hidden pot of gold. Treasure hunters can often track down a leprechaun by the sound of his shoemaker's hammer. If caught, he can be forced to reveal the whereabouts of his treasure, but the captor must keep their eyes on him every second. If the captor's eyes leave the leprechaun (and he often tricks them into looking away), he vanishes and all hopes of finding the treasure are lost.

And, I know some leprechauns. They are sneaky and always succeed in getting someone to look away. But, they are fun friends when they are not working!

Irish Thought for February 17....

2012-02-17T03:08:00.001-08:00

Irish Proverbs

As the big hound is, so will the pup be.

I guess this is the Irish way of saying like father, like son. Only Irish people like dogs lots, so their proverb is based off dogs instead of people. That's just a guess...mainly because I know how much the Irish like cows like me!

Irish Thought for February 16....

2012-02-16T03:14:00.000-08:00

Irish Trivia

There are an estimated 70 million people in the world with Irish heritage.

I guess that is why so many people love all things Irish. With so many people who have a bit of Irish in them, I can understand why events like St. Patrick's Day and even our own Irishfest are so big and important. We all celebrate our relatives who came to America to start anew.

Irish Thought for February 15....

2012-02-15T03:13:00.000-08:00

Irish Trivia

While scripture declares that Jesus Christ will judge all other people on Judgment Day, an old legend suggests that St. Patrick will be the one who evaluates the Irish.

And, of course, since he loves the Irish so much, he will go easy on them ;)

Irish Thought for February 14....

2012-02-14T03:17:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentine's Day!

Irish Trivia

The harp is the official emblem of Ireland. The harp (although different from our harp) is believed to have been with the people of Ireland for as long as there have been people in Ireland. And, of course, there is a beer that was named after this national emblem.

Irish Thought for February 13....

2012-02-13T03:07:00.000-08:00

Irish Proverb

A silent mouth is melodious.

I guess this is saying not to yell. You will sound much more pleasant if you say nothing at all. Unless, of course, you need to sing. Then you are more melodious.

Irish Thought for February 12....

2012-02-12T06:24:00.000-08:00

Irish Toasts

Health and life to you,
The mate of your choice to you,
Land without rent to you,
And death in Eirinn.

Eirinn is Ireland.

Irish Thought for February 11....

2012-02-11T05:47:00.000-08:00

Irish Proverb

It is better to exist unknown to the law.

I guess that is because otherwise chances are you have done something bad.

Irish Thought for February 10....

2012-02-10T03:22:00.000-08:00

Irish Slang

Acting the Maggot

Behaving foolishly, annoyingly.

As many of you know maggots are a stage that flies go through. Before they have wings, they are these creepy crawly things. They are yucky and annoying and that is why the word made its way into Irish slang.

Irish Thought for February 9....

2012-02-09T03:21:00.000-08:00

Irish Trivia

In Australia, approximately 30% of the population has Irish ancestry.

I hope Australians celebrate their Irish pride like Americans do!

Irish Thought for February 8....

2012-02-08T03:26:00.000-08:00

Irish Proverb

All happy endings are beginnings as well.

I like this saying. I only have a year to be with all of my friends I met during Irishfest. With such short time, it is easy to look at the ending and think it was a wonderful year. However, I like to think of how magical the beginning was - seeing all the kids have fun with Irish culture, dancing to the music of so many great Irish bands, coming here brought me so much happiness.

Irish Thought for February 7....

2012-02-07T03:19:00.000-08:00

Irish Musicians

Boyzone

After being formed in 1993, the Irish boy band Boyzone sold almost 20 million records, making them one of the most successful musical groups in the UK and Ireland. They racked up six #1 singles in the UK, and nine #1 singles in Ireland. Over the years the band was together, band members included Shane Lynch, Ronan Keating, Stephen Gately, Mikey Graham, and Keith Duffy. They are like America's version of the Jonas Brothers.

Irish Thought for February 6....

2012-02-06T03:15:00.000-08:00

Irish Movies

My Left Foot: The Stor of Christy Brown

This true story flashes back to the working-class youth of Christy Brown, a birlliant Irish wirter and painter born with cerebal palsy. Albe only to control movement in his left foot, Christy learns to handle life's physical tasks and psychological difficulties with the help of his strong-willed mother, a dedicated teacher, and his own steely determination.

Irish Thought for February 5....

2012-02-05T07:51:00.000-08:00

Irish Quotables

For those of us Americans with Irish Heritage, there is a reason why we seek to know of Ireland...

"The immigrant's heart marches to the beat of two quite different drums, one from the old homeland and the other from the new. The immigrant has to bridge these two worlds, living comfortably in the new and bringing the best of his or her ancient identity and heritage to bear on life in an adopted homeland."
- Irish President McAleese

Enjoy the Super Bowl today!!!

Irish Thought for February 4....

2012-02-04T07:38:00.000-08:00

Irish Food

Drisheen - A type of black pudding, drisheen is made from a blend milk, salt, fat, herbs, breadcrumbs, and some other ingredients. This mix is stuffed into a type of mold to give it the shape of a horseshoe. The exact recipe varies from region to region, but the food is considered a delicacy. As many of you might have discovered in your travels, Ireland and England and other countries in Europe have pudding that is not what we consider pudding (nope, not like Jell-O) in America. Their pudding is more of a food that is eaten as a meal. It looks like sausage to me.

Here is it made all fancy for a party!

Irish Thought for February 3....

2012-02-03T03:29:00.000-08:00

Irish Symbols

The Claddagh Ring

Claddagh history begins with a group of rings called, "Fede rings", meaning, "faith rings". Dating back to Roman times, faith rings are distinguished by two hands representing trust and faith.
However, the Claddagh ring is a unique version of this design in which the two hands are holding a heart topped by a crown.
The traditional Irish wedding ring since the 17th century, the Claddagh ring is one of the most familiar symbols of Irish heritage. This intricately crafted tribute to friendship, loyalty and everlasting love is one of the most enduring emblems of all that love can be.

However, the ring also has a story thought to be true to explain the the origin of the ring.

The most common tale of Claddagh history begins with a young man from Galway by the name of Richard Joyce (no relation to the writer James Joyce!) leaving his true love to make his fortune in the West Indies. As he sailed toward his goal, his ship was captured by a band of pirates and he was sold as a slave to a Moorish goldsmith.
Through the many years of service to the goldsmith, Richard perfected the art of jewelry making himself, eventually becoming a master craftsman and earning the respect and admiration of his master. When King William III negotiated the freedom of the slaves in 1689, the Moor offered Richard the hand of his daughter and a healthy dowry on top of that. But Richard refused....for his heart still lay in Ireland.
Returning to Galway, Richard found that his sweetheart had remained true to him through all those years. In a fitting tribute to his true love, he fashioned the Claddagh ring. The two hands represented their friendship. The crown signified their loyalty. The heart symbolized their love. Richard wedded his beloved and presented the first Claddagh to her as her wedding ring. And the two lived happily ever after....never to be apart again.

Irish Thought for February 2....

2012-02-02T03:41:00.000-08:00

Irish Writers

James Joyce

Born in Dublin, and widely considered to be one of the most influential writers of the 20th century, James Joyce is often credited for great leaps in the development of the modernist novel. Joyce has been celebrated for his experimental use of language and stream-of-consciousness narrative, especially in the novels Ulysses and Finnegans Wake. Although more traditionally written, his short-story collection Dubliners and the novel A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man are also considered masterworks of literature. Another random fun fact about Joyce is that in the novel Finnegans Wake, Joyce used a word that he made up "quark." In 1963 a physicist proposed quark for the name of a yet-to-be named elementary particle. So, you can make up words! It just might take 40 years or so for someone to start liking the word enough for it to become a known word.

Modernist Novel - this brand of novel refers to a movement in which writers began to move away from the more romantic and uplifting style of writing. Instead modernists tended to go down a path of sad, depresssing thoughts of the main character. Theses writers tend to reflect that they are not satisfied with the path the world was taking. World War I played a role in writers having a more negative view of the world.

Happy February!

2012-02-01T03:28:00.000-08:00

Irish-American Celebrities

John Ford

Born John Martin Feeney to parents who came to America from Ireland, John Ford was a popular and influential Hollywood film director known for his westerns, inlcuding Stagecoach, The Searchers, and The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance. Among the more than 140 movies he directed are The Grapes of Wrath and How Green Was My Valley. Ford won FOUR Best Director Oscars. Many of the Hollywood elite of the time including Orson Welles called John The Great American Director.

Irish Thought for January 31....

2012-01-31T03:24:00.000-08:00

An Irish Blessing:

May the Irish hills caress you.
May her lakes and rivers bless you.
May the luck of the Irish enfold you.
May the blessings of Saint Patrick behold you.

Irish Thought for January 30....

2012-01-30T03:24:00.000-08:00

Gaelic Sports

Rounders : Similar to softball, rounders is played between two teams that alternate between batting and fielding, with nin players per team. Game play involves hitting a small, leather-cased ball with a bat and then running around four bases to score "rounders." The sport's first nationally formalized rules were drawn up by the Gaelic Athletic Association in Ireland in 1884. The game is popular for schoolchildren, especially girls.

Irish Thought for January 29....

2012-01-29T07:52:00.000-08:00

Timeline of Irish History:

Circa 3000 B.C. - Farming colonists of the Neolithic period reached Ireland! One of their surviving monuments is a megalithic tomb in Newgrange.

The Neolithic period is also known as the New Stone Era. The period is known for the last stage of human development before the Bronze Age (when humans started getting more advanced with building stuff with materials other than rocks). The Neolithic period is known for the first time people began to farm instead of just hunting and gathering.

Megalithic refers to building something out of large stones. Something big for all of the people in the area to see and know.

The tomb of Newgrange is a large stone tomb mound that is surrounded by smaller (but still large) border rocks that are decorated with the art of that time period. Experts estimate that building this tomb would have taken 300 people around 20 years. Now that is dedication! The most fascinating fact about this tomb is that the builders lined up a passage with the sun so that the entire passage would be lit up by the sun on the date and time of the winter solstice sunrise. The event lasts for about 17 minutes. The event is so admired and appreciated by the people of Ireland that the visitor center of the tomb lets anyone who might want to see this wonder of the solstice enter their names into a lottery. In 2011, 31,531 people entered this lottery, but only 50 are randomly chosen (and each person drawn gets to bring 1 friend) to be present for the event.

Newgrange tomb

The decorated stones (I think I might have seen some jewelry with this pattern - yay to Irish artists respecting their ancestors!!)

Irish Thought for January 28....

2012-01-28T08:00:00.000-08:00

Famous Quotables:

"I had that stubborn streak, the Irish in me I guess."
Gregory Peck

For those of you who don't know Gregory Peck is the best actor ever. He played Atticus Finch in the movie adaption of To Kill a Mockingbird. His role as Atticus made me wish I had that man by my side throughout any troubles that came my way. I am pretty sure that this role won him an Oscar. And, to know that he was happily stubborn-Irish makes Mr. Peck even more awesome!

Irish Thought for January 27...

2012-01-27T03:18:00.000-08:00

Irish Limerick!! Always fun to say!!

There was an Old Man with a beard,
Who said, 'It is just as I feared!
Two Owls and a Hen,
Four Larks and a Wren,
Have all built their nests in my beard!' by Edward Lear

Irish Thought for January 26...

2012-01-26T06:09:00.000-08:00

Learn Gaelic!!!

Breithlá Sona! (BREH-LAW SO-nuh) - Happy Birthday!

Sláinte agus saol chugat! (SLAWN-chuh ah-guhs SEEL KHU-guht) - Health and long life to you!

Good wishes and things to celebrate for anyone!

Irish Thought for January 25...

2012-01-25T03:25:00.000-08:00

Irish-American Fact:

In 1928, Alfred E. Smith was the first Irish Catholic to run for president as a major party candidate, although he lost to Herbert Hoover. The only Irish Catholic to have become president is John F. Kennedy.

I think Irish Americans have so much to offer the coumtry. Maybe, we need to think about running for office again!

Irish Thought for the day....

2012-01-24T13:42:00.000-08:00

An Irish proverb:

The wearer best knows where the shoe pinches.

Lesson: Don't ignore someone telling you something is wrong with him or her. It might mean something is wrong. Concern and care!

THe love of a cow!

2011-10-17T04:52:00.000-07:00

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

Maeve with her Gam and Papa

2011-09-10T16:27:00.000-07:00

More about Maeve

2011-09-10T16:22:00.000-07:00

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?

2011-09-09T05:34:00.000-07:00

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!!!

2011-09-08T08:54:00.000-07:00

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!

2011-09-05T00:19:00.001-07:00

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

Magic Everywhere

2011-09-03T22:00:00.000-07:00

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.

????

2011-09-03T03:24:00.001-07:00

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

The day has arrived!

2011-09-02T05:51:00.000-07:00

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!!!

2011-09-01T07:30:00.000-07:00

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!!!

2011-08-31T06:46:00.000-07:00

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

2011-08-30T10:00:00.000-07:00

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

2011-08-29T09:55:00.000-07:00

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

2011-08-28T06:40:00.000-07:00

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?

2011-08-27T06:15:00.000-07:00

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...

2011-08-26T07:08:00.000-07:00

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

2011-08-25T06:51:00.000-07:00

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

2011-08-24T06:29:00.000-07:00

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

2011-08-23T08:15:00.000-07:00

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

2011-08-22T06:30:00.000-07:00

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

2011-08-21T03:22:00.000-07:00

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

2011-08-20T04:08:00.000-07:00

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!!!

2011-08-19T01:00:00.000-07:00

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

2011-08-18T00:46:00.000-07:00

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...

2011-08-17T05:49:00.000-07:00

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

2011-08-16T07:43:00.000-07:00

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

2011-08-15T05:36:00.000-07:00

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!!!!

2011-08-13T23:57:00.000-07:00

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!!!

2011-08-13T05:30:00.000-07:00

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

2011-08-12T04:02:00.000-07:00

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

2011-08-11T05:39:00.000-07:00

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

2011-08-10T06:09:00.000-07:00

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

2011-08-09T07:25:00.000-07:00

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…

2011-08-08T05:26:00.000-07:00

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...

2011-08-07T01:41:00.000-07:00

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

2011-08-06T02:38:00.000-07:00

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.

Always remember to respect a Bard...

2011-08-05T05:31:00.000-07:00

Nuada was the first king of the Tuatha Dé Danann, who brought his tribe to Ireland and contended with its inhabitants for possession of the island. At the first battle at Mag Tuireadh, Nuada's warriors clash with the Fir Bolg. The battle is carried out as a series of single combats, one warrior against another, until Nuada is matched with a Fir Bolg champion, Streng. Nuada fights fiercely, but he suffers a great loss — the enemy warrior slices off his left hand at the wrist. Even so, the Fir Bolg are eventually driven back, and they retreat to the western province of Connacht.

Because sacred law decrees that a king of the Dé Danann must be whole in body and mind, the maimed Nuada is forced to step down as ruler of the gods. A council is convened, and a new king is appointed by vote, a half-Fomorian named Bres the Beautiful. . Unlike the rather conventional Fir Bolgs, the Fomorians are, like the Dé Dananns, a magical race, described as misshapen one-eyed giants who live under the waves. However, Bres gets to be King because he is not misshapen like the others.

Bres, despite his dashing figure, proves a very unpopular king. He identifies with his Fomorian side and treats the Dé Dananns terribly, levying large taxes and forgoing the usual hospitality and entertainments a king is expected to provide. A solution is sought, and finally, the Dé Danann Lugh uses his healing skill to fashion for Nuada a fantastic silver hand, which functions as well as a human hand. Restored to wholeness, Nuada seeks to regain his position.

Bres, however, is having none of it. He enjoys being king and naturally refuses to step aside. All seems hopeless until a bard, Cairpre, seeks the hospitality of Bres' court and, like so many before him, is refused. The offended Cairpre composes the first bardic satire (satire is when someone uses jokes to point out another's shortcomings) of legend, a scathing indictment of Bres's stinginess:

No meat on the plates; No milk of the cows; No shelter after sunset; No money for minstrels: May Bres's cheer be what he gives others!

In other words, the Bard is saying he hopes the king gets the same treatment he gives to others. The poem embarrasses Bres so greatly that his face breaks out in gigantic boils, a disfiguration great enough to force Bres to abdicate the throne according to the ancient rules. In short order, Nuada is once again king of the Tuatha Dé Danann.

The dethroned Bres has no intention of going quietly. He complains of his humiliation to his Fomorian relatives, and the Tuatha Dé Danann soon face a wave of invaders. But, they will stand with greatness!

Claíomh Solais: The Sword of Light – King Nuada

2011-08-04T08:15:00.000-07:00

"From Findias was brought the Sword of Nuada;
no man would escape from it when it was drawn from its scabbard.
There was no resisting it."
--Lebor Gabala Erenn

The Sword of Renewal or the Sword of Light was brought from the region of Findias to the Hill of Tara. It belonged to King Nuada.

King Nuada was the first known king of the Tuatha Dé Danann. Alas, he was hurt by an enemy; his hand was cut off during a battle. Nuada still won the battle. However, it is a Tuatha Dé Danann tradition that their king must be physically perfect. So, because his hand was lost, Nuada lost his kingship. I know! I was awestruck too. I met this man, and he definitely is a king amongst kings. Plus, he won his battle and by honoring his people with a battle won, they say…sorry, you can’t be our king anymore. Not cool. Not cool at all.

Well, as many of you might remember (if not, read yesterday’s story), there was Lugh amongst the Tuatha Dé Danann during this time. Lugh, who so craftily gained admittance to these people, was ready to be there for Nuada. With his multitude of talents, Lugh forged a hand for the king out of silver. Hence, King Nuada was restored to power, and he gained the name Nuada Airgetlám, Nuada of the silver hand/arm.

Pic: strangedays.it

Lugh was actually such a good friend to King Nuada that when King Nuada was killed in battle, Lugh hunted down and avenged his friend. Because of this act, Lugh was crowned king.

The Sword of Nuada is not merely an instrument of battle. Instead, it is a sword of the people. The sword is formed of the people and by the creative forces of the people. Its brightness is a symbol of the illumination of the people of the Tuatha Dé Danann. Being a sword forged by the force of the people, the sword is also a powerful source that cannot be overcome.

The four treasures of the Tuatha Dé Danann

2011-08-03T07:57:00.000-07:00

"From Goirias was brought the spear which Lugh had:

battle would never go against him who had it in hand"

(MacAlister translation)

Because I had given the Royalty their due, I was granted with more stories. Stories are important to the people of Ireland because for a long time, the people of Ireland did not write or record anything. In fact, they strove to keep their knowledge, history, and beliefs secret, so no one could steal it from them. However, I learned more about the Stone of Destiny, Lia Fáil and the people who brought it to Ireland.

The Tuatha Dé Danann, or people of the goddess Danu, are a race of people from the deities of

Ireland

before Christianity took its place there. They came from four cities to the north of Ireland–Falias, Goirias, Murias and Finias–where they acquired their occult skills and attributes. It is from these four cities that the Tuatha Dé Danann brought four magical treasures, one apiece from each city. The first was from Falias, and the treasure was Lia Fáil.

The second treasure was from Goirias. It was called the Spear of Lugh. Lugh was one of the High Kings of mythology, a deity also! He was a late-comer to the Tuatha Dé Danann. He arrived at Tara to join the court of Nuada. But, the people refuse to let him in until he proves his worth. He offers his services as a wright, a smith, a champion, a swordsman, a harpist, a hero, a poet and historian, a sorcerer, and a craftsman, but each time is rejected as the Tuatha Dé Danann already have someone with that skill. However, being a crafty one, Lugh, asks if there is anyone who possesses all of those skills. The doorman admits defeat and grants Lugh a place in the Kingdom. I don't blame them. I would let someone with all of those skills hang around with me too!

The Spear of Lugh

The Spear of Lugh is also known as the Spear of Inspiration. For Lugh knew that wisdom was not always enough to get one through a battle, or any trial. It is through inspiration that each of us is raised to a higher level when faced with a challenge. Inspiration drives an artist to create a masterpiece. Inspiration is not only for an artist, a healer, or even the wise. Inspiration is what magnifies creative energies in every person. Inspiration drives us through our difficult days as well as carries us through our triumphs. I found this to be a wonderful story. A spear that is not honored for its battle ability, but the aid it gives your mind!!!!

Oh no what to do now....

2011-08-02T10:10:00.000-07:00

By the time King Brian was finishing the grand story about cows, a large crowd of various kings, queens, and royalty had gathered. When he finished speaking, everyone was looking at me and waiting in anticipation. Oh no! What happens now??? And then, it hit me. I came and they gave me all these honors and gifts. Now, it was my turn to give them their due respect. AAACCCKKK!!! What do I do? Here I am on an amazing adventure that I did not plan and I am being put on the spot! Think, Moolarky, think. I know we are celebrating these people. Maybe if give them an example of the honor they are receiving, then they will understand the honor in which we place them.

Suddenly, I knew exactly what to tell them. I told them about our special play in their honor. This is what I shared…

“We have a special cultural arts center called Trilogy in my town. This art center provides camps and classes for kids, so they can develop and study music, theatre, dance, and graphic arts. It is a wonderful place where kids can learn and grow in courses that interest them, or courses that help them become happier kids. This center has planned something very special in honor of you Kings, Queens, Princes, and Princesses. They seek to honor you by performing for the kids during Irish Fest in a story about what it might be like for a Prince. Prince Flynn. For the Prince is becoming more of a man, but he needs a little push…a little extra something to push him in the right direction of becoming a King.”

I could tell by their faces the royalty was excited…

“And, what better to help the Prince find his way than the most noble of all quests. The quest he embarks on is to find and earn a beautiful bride. For what could be more important than finding love and proving to the Princess that you deserve her!”

I got so many smiles and laughs from that description that I would be willing to bet that more than a few of these royals either went on the same mission, or had a son who did. I, then, told them that my friends at Trilogy were going to perform this play throughout the weekend, even twice on some days. That way all kids have a chance to see and learn about what it takes to grow up as a prince. Applause went through the crowd. I was proud that we had found a way to show our appreciation of the High Kings by representing them in a play. Of course, that is just one of the fun events we plan for the weekend!

The Importance of a Name...

2011-08-01T06:01:00.000-07:00

After he finished the legend, King Brian went on to tell me that cows have always been important in Ireland. A King was not truly a king until he had enough cows, or performed enough cow raids, to be considered wealthy. The Irish also believed that if one of the cows did not produce enough milk, then that cow must have been stolen by a fairy and replaced with a changeling. The Kings, the fey, and all the way down to the poorest of peasants had cows. I love that cows represented wealth to the Irish of yore. I certainly felt important, not that I lack for love in Kansas City either!!

Some Irish Cows

After reading the great story about the entrance of cows into Ireland, I am sure you can understand how important it became to me that we have a truly regal name for our cow this year. I recently met her and she is beautiful and humble, yet excited to be our Royal Cow. I know so many of you are eager to name her and bring her home with you. I wish you all the best of luck!!

Concerning Cows...

2011-07-31T10:02:00.000-07:00

In old times there arose one day a maiden from the sea, a beautiful Berooch, or mermaid, and all the people on the Western Coast of Eirè gathered 'round her and wondered at her beauty. And the great chief of the land carried her home to his house, where she was treated like a queen.
She was very gentle and wise, and after some time she acquired the language, and could talk to the people quite well in their own Irish tongue, to their great delight and wonder. Then she informed them that she had been sent to their country by a great spirit, to announce the arrival in Ireland of the three sacred cows--Bo-Finn, Bo-Ruadh, and Bo-Dhu--the white, the red, and the black cows, who were destined to fill the land with the most splendid cattle, so that the people should never know want while the world lasted.

This was such good news that the people in their delight carried the sea-maiden from house to house in procession, in order that she might tell it herself to every one; and they crowned her with flowers, while the musicians went before her, singing to their harps.

After dwelling with them a little longer she asked to be taken back to the sea, for she had grown sad at being away so long from her own kindred. So, on May Eve, a great crowd accompanied her down to the strand, where she took leave of them, telling them that on that day of the next year they should all assemble at the same place to await the arrival of the three cows. Then she plunged into the sea and was seen no more.

On that day all the people of Ireland assembled on the shore to watch, as they had been directed by the beautiful sea-maiden, and all the high cliffs and all the rocks were covered with anxious spectators from the early dawn. Nor did they wait in vain. Exactly at noon the waves were stirred with a mighty commotion, and three cows rose up from the sea--a white, a red, and a black--all beautiful to behold, with sleek skins, large soft eyes, and curved horns, white as ivory. They stood upon the shore for a while, looking around them. Then each one went in a different direction, by three roads; the black went south, the red went north, and the milk-white heifer--the Bo-Finn--crossed the plain of Ireland to the very centre, where stood the king's palace. And every place she passed was named after her, and every well she drank at was called Lough-na-Bo, or Tober-Bo-Finn (the well of the white cow), so her memory remains to this day.

In process of time the white heifer gave birth to twins, a male and female calf, and from them descended a great race, still existing in Ireland; after which the white cow disappeared into a great cave by the sea, the entrance to which no man knows. And there she remains, and will remain, in an enchanted sleep, until the true king of Eirè, the lord of Ireland, shall come to waken her; but the lake near the cave is still known as Lough-na-Bo-banna (the lake of the snow-white cow).

The path of the white cow across Ireland is marked by small crude stone monuments, still existing. They show the exact spot where she rested each night and had her bed, and the adjoining lands have names connected with the tradition--such as, "The plain of the Fenian cows;" "The hill of worship;" "The pool of the spotted ox," called after the Ox because he always waited to drink until the white cow came, for they were much attached to each other.

The plain of the death of Bo-banna (the white Cow), where she gave the roar that shook all Ireland is called "the plain of lamentation." It never was tilled, and never will be tilled. The people hold it as a sacred spot, and until recently it was the custom to have dances there every Sunday.

Brian Bóruma mac Cennétig, or Brian Boru

2011-07-30T11:06:00.000-07:00

As I entered the world of the High Kings, the first person who greeted me (other than the fairies who brought me to this magical place) was Brian Boru. Now, Brian was not the first nor the last High King of Ireland, but he greeted me with a grin. He boasted with a mighty grin, “I was chosen to greet you since I am the most remembered and famed King of Ireland.”

18th Century engraving of Brian Boru, High King of Ireland

King Brian

Brian is indeed celebrated. He was granted a lasting fame and enduring due to two reasons. The first is that he was one of the first to conquer all of Ireland. Throughout history, the Kings were divided into the various parts of Ireland, but a piece of Ireland was not enough for Brian. He also was boasted as one of the Kings who was able to drive the Vikings from Ireland for his reign (mostly at least). He is a proud man. He even boasts being remembered by our popular culture with the likes of author Morgan Llewelyn and he was even mentioned by a character on Star Trek. Or so he told me with a grin! I guess everyone loves Star Trek!!

King Brian wanted to put me at ease, recognizing that I am a cow and might be scared amongst the people of Ireland. So, he escorted me into his castle and sat me down and told me of an Irish legend. The legend was of the Cow’s entrance into Ireland and the importance of cows in the life of the Irish. But, alas, that will have to wait until tomorrow!!! :)

Teamhair na Rí - The Hill of Tara

2011-07-29T05:59:00.000-07:00

The first place that I was shown on my journey was the Hill of Tara. This place was one of the most magical places in all of Ireland. It is also known as the Hill of the Kings. There are several forts that are in this area, two of which surround Lia Fáil or the Stone of Destiny. It was at this stone that the High Kings were crowned. The King would have to face a number of challenges in order to be crowned. At the end of these trials he would have to touch the Stone of Destiny. When he was successful, the Stone would let out three roars that were to be heard throughout Ireland, to let the people know a new King was crowned. There was even a temple built underneath this Hill. 142 Kings are known to have reigned in this site. Much of the monuments still stand today. The sights were beautiful and filled me with wonder and magic.

Teamhair na Rí

Lia Fáil

Sorry, my friends, for being away for so long....

2011-07-28T10:16:00.000-07:00

Hello my friends, I am sorry that I have been away for so long, but I have been on a great adventure. You see, when the High Kings of Ireland learned that we were celebrating them, they created a special fairy hole for me to travel through and visit them.

They wish for me to share their stories as we get closer to celebrating them at Irish Fest. I was filled with magic, stories, and wonder. All of which I will share with you over the next month.

However, the first important news that I have to share is that for the weekend of Irish Fest, the Kings have granted my friends and me the power to make all who are present a part of the Irish kingdoms. You are to become kings, queens, princesses, fairies, or whatever you want for that weekend. That’s right, royalty one and all!

As I have become their special friend, the Kings have granted that our new friend, our nameless cow for this Irish Fest is to be the Royal Cow! I hope we can get a fitting name for the Royal Cow of Kansas City.

A new phrase that I learned in my travels is “Is e ‘n t-ionnsachadh òg an t-ionnsachadh bòidheach.” Or, the learning in youth is pretty learning. I shall help us all learn in the upcoming weeks. Stay tuned….

2011 Children's Area at Irish Fest

2011-04-04T19:50:00.000-07:00

This year the Kid's Club will be celebrating the Year of the High Kings of Ireland and their Queens. The designation King of Ireland (Irish: Rí na hÉireann) and Queen (regnant) of Ireland was used during the periods of the High Kings.

Gaelic Ireland consisted of as few as five and as many as nine main kingdoms, subdivided into dozens of smaller kingdoms. The primary kingdoms were Connacht, Ailech, Airgíalla, Ulster, Mide, Leinster, Osraige, Munster and Thomond. Until the end of Gaelic Ireland they continued to fluctuate, expand and contract in size, as well as dissolving entirely or being amalgamated into new entities.

Well this year every young person entering the kingdom of the Kid's Area will be a High King or a Queen.

Stay tuned for more exciting news about Irish Fest 2011. But get your costumes together for the High King and Queen Costume Contest this year on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

2010 - The Year of the Irish Woman

2010-09-29T06:47:00.000-07:00

Many things happen at Irish Fest in all the different areas, and one that was particularly fun this year was the Heritage Area. The feature was the Year of the Irish Woman. (I actually had a picture in there with my Mom, Grandmother and Great-Grandmother!) But, the important part of this is that Barbara Scanlon was the Woman of the Year at this year's Irish Fest. There are so many things that can be said about Barbara, but it is enought to know that she has been working at the Fest before the Fest as we know it; when it was at Brookside. She is the Children's Area resident Fairy Village expert, and she helps us when we venture into the old Irish Fables, and that doesn't begin to touch her expertise in Genealogy. We have the pleasure of having two of Barbara's Grandchildren in the Kid's Club. The first one I want to introduce is Kelsey. Kelsey is like her Grandma, she danced this year at the Feis, and worked as much as she could doing anything and everything in the Main Children's Area. So, Barbara's legacy this year was three generations working at Irish Fest together, and there were many smiles, not to diminish the one that Barbara had when Eileen Ivers presented her award!

Thank you Barbara and all of the lovely Scanlon Family.

MVP Rookie.... Jeremy Roush

2010-09-27T08:02:00.000-07:00

Our very own Jeremy Roush (terrace inflatables) took the Irish Fest Prize for most Valuable Rookie (male) this year. And yes, it was a deserved win. Jeremy was there from sun-up to midnight getting the inflatables ready for activity each day. He kept an eye on all of our Irish Fest guests who had a great time jumping, sliding, and running. And was interested in keeping all of our guests safe and smiling.

Thanks Jeremy, great Rookie year!

Moolarky - The TRUE Scoop about the Name (no Malarky!)

2010-09-27T07:58:00.000-07:00

Hannah has a cow and has named me (2010 cow) and the blog this year. I had to ask Hannah about her inspiration for my name. I know I am beautiful, and funny, but chatty and prone to exaggeration. How in the world did Hannah know that?

Her answer:

I came up with the name Moolarky from something my great-grandma, Mary, used to say to my dad, Sean, when he was a boy. He used to tell a lot of stories. Most of them weren't always true. Gram, who was from Sligo County, Ireland, would tell him he was "full of malarkey".

Hannah

OUR NEW COW AND NEW BLOG....Introducing Moolarky

2010-09-20T08:35:00.002-07:00

A new blog year welcome from Moolarky. Hannah (10 yrs old) from Lee's Summit has named me and named our blog for this coming year. And Hannah has won the giant cow.

We will let you know Hannah's inspiration as soon as I speak to her. I feel much better now that I have a name, and will see if this blog can live up to MOOLARKY!

Moora Retires....soon

2010-09-13T19:52:00.000-07:00

Stay tuned as we are about to have a new cow take over the blog. I am sad, but I can use the rest.

More Thanks from Irish Fest

2010-09-13T19:50:00.000-07:00

A special thanks to our talented artists/vendors. How could we have an Irish Fest without the great Face Painting of MJ, Kristi, Amy, Katie, Sheryl, and Jo? And this year we had special Glitter Tats, we thought they were a hit (even my Mom got one), by Lexi and Annika, so we need to bring those back.

And where would we be without Dan and DJ, our talented balloon artists?

Well thanks to all of you, we wouldn't have a Children's Area without you!

Shawn

Goodbye to Irish Fest 2010...

2010-09-07T13:28:00.000-07:00

I always hate to go to Crown Center after the Festival, I think something is wrong without all the tents and the kids and the good times.   It was that way this morning, except many of the tents were still there which made it like a ghost Irish Fest.   How can one simple cow say thanks to so many people?   Well I am going to try...

Thanks to Cristo Rey High School and Ms Bridget McGilley- they hung in with us for all of the Fest, they were polite to the adults and fun with the kids, could we have asked for anything else? No, they were found at the Fest all three days and couldn't have been nicer.

Thanks to St Thomas Aquinas Rugby Team - what a fun group of people. They gave us the perfect start on Sunday.    Have the VERY Best Time in Ireland.

I have a group of volunteers that have stuck with me over the years of my sister cows that came before me. Young ladies, you know who you are, and you are absolutely appreciated for your help and smiles with our guests. Oh, what the hec, I'll start naming them and if I forget any of you returning life savers, let me know, my head is a little foggy today.   Rose, Dawn, Theresa and Alia, Kim, and I know I am missing some, so send me a note.

Carolyn and Anna - Every year Anna waits patiently while Mom, Carolyn work for 10 - 20 hours a day on Friday and Saturday, so she can attend Irish Fest with her Mom on Sunday. Carolyn is one of the reasons why I can walk away from the tent with the knowledge all our guests are in very good hands.

We had some new volunteers from Olathe East under the teacher sponsor Nicole Sullivan (and yes, we are related), all of the team were awesome, but Sydney and Devon were outstanding. Sydney even got lost getting home one night to south JOCO, but oh my were they awesome help.

Thanks to the Bishop Ward Basketball Team, and were they great! And another fun group. They even had a couple stray football players helping them, like Alex. Leave it to the guys to have fun with the kids on the Moonwalks.

My daughters, Megan and Julie, and sons Alex and Bill have been working on Irish Fest for over a month, and were there helping with the prep work all the way.

Fellow Staffers, Julie, Jeremy, Mackenzie, and Kathleen enabled crafts, moonwalks and inflatables and the main tent in that order. Artrageous is one of the Children's Area sponsors and Julie's company.   Kathleen plans and sings a beautiful Irish Fest Mass, but doesn't miss a beat for long days both Saturday and Sunday. Jeremy was walking to each inflatable every few minutes helping the volunteers and making sure our guests were having fun and stayed safe. Mackenzie has been with Irish Fest since she was a little girl, and is coming into her own as a staple part of the Irish Fest Children's management team.

The Kansas City Irish Fest Kid's Club just out did themselves this year.   Maddie, Maura, Michael, Q, Mikayla, Jake, and Joseph helped out on the inflatables, and the report from Jeremy, is that they were awesome. And thanks to the parents that help made this happen.

I have had a family of Aylward's and Ismert's who have been with me since year one at Crown Center, another group of kids I have seen grow up. They sat for hours and hours and gave tattoos to everyone. They are friendly, they are cute, they are awesome...Anna has lead the way, and I am so glad...how many cousins and siblings do you have? We have another group growing up with us!

Jack, our stage manager on Friday and Saturday was awesome helping the entertainment entertain the kids and not worry about picky 'stuff'.

Kelsey and Colleen from the Kid's Club did everything to help everyone. Kelsey we were proud of you at the Dance Competition.    Kelsey could be found at Bingo or the Wackalaylee or helping someone out with a prize. Colleen had a busy competition as well, but also performed this year, another proud moment for me.

Cassie helped Julie in Artragesous, and single handedly took over ballooons when there wasn't enough volunteer help.

Let's talk about the Mersman Family. They were found in the main Children's tent, all weekend long, and our boss, 8 year old Kate kept the flow, kept the fun and kept working when the rest of us thought we might sit and rest, she kept us jumping. Kate is a member of the Kid's club, and she came into her own at this Fest. She was at the Fest from sunup to sundown and was fun, and had all of us laughing. SPECIAL Thanks to Brett, Kate and Kathleen.

Now, I need to thank all the volunteers who helped during the weekend with the Children's Area, there are many of you to thank and every single contribution makes such a big difference in one of our guests' smiles! Many, many thanks especially understanding we were short-handed and all of you jumped in and simply worked and helped, and kept a bottle of water in your hand! THANKS SO MUCH!

So, Did You Hear the One...

2010-08-31T06:55:00.000-07:00

About the calf walking into a tent at Crown Center? The Calf said where is the Children's Area? The attentive Cow (me) said look around you. The folks that designed Irish Fest put a kid's area everywhere so that the Kids would have a Grand Time while the parents were singing along with the Music.

To Review: Miller Stage - Jumpy's/Moonwalks and Miniature Golf
Sponsor Level - Baggin for Gold and Volleyball - (Family Game Area)
Fountain Level - Children's Game (Wackalaylee and Bingo) and Craft Tent (ahhhh Face Painting)
Washington Park - Toddler Area including Bubble Tent and Oddball Kids
More Washington Park - Jumpy's/Moonwalks
Even More Washington Park - Teen Area including DDR, Guitar Hero and Karaoke

Now that doesn't include Minskys, Schmeica's (voted best cherry limeade by the Kid's club and me), Old Bag of Nails (it is awesome).

So find the Children's area of your choice!

More Fun, Free Tickets and Service Hours

2010-08-30T18:08:00.000-07:00

I am sure that you realize behind Irish Fest is this incredibly wonderful group of Adults, a fun and creative group of Kids and people like you. People like you are ages 14 and above and love having fun! For just four hours of your time, we will give you a really cool t-shirt that everyone will want, we will give you Service Hours for your School and we will give the opportunity to make many of our guest smile ear to ear.

And it doesn't stop there, we will give you a ticket to come back later. And that still doesn't stop, you will be entered in a raffle for prizes.

Now, all you have to do is head to KCIRISHFEST.COM and go to volunteers and just give us a bit of your time, but BRING all your friends.

Irish Fest - Ready or Not...

2010-08-28T17:59:00.000-07:00

And the Kids are Ready! Tomorrow the Kid's Club does the last minute Wackalalee filling and miscellaneous tasks, and we start setting up on Wednesday.

We'll let you know how things are going!

Moora

Theatre of the Imagination

2010-08-25T21:49:00.000-07:00

Yes, kids they are back this year, and as always there will be audience participation.

"Theatre of the Imagination will perform several Instant Plays. Kids from the audience get to come up on stage and perform in several fun and energetic shows. There will be a show about Ireland, a pirate play, and a western about bullying.

Irish Fest at Holy Trinity

2010-08-24T19:22:00.000-07:00

We had such a fun day at Holy Trinity on June 22, we (Barbara, Michael, and Kelsey) wanted to send a special invitation to the Fun Kids we met there to come to Irish Fest this year. But watch out, these great kids know some of our secret games!

Where was I all Weekend?

2010-08-23T07:01:00.000-07:00

Since Friday, I have been at the Midwest Kids Fest.   Oh, did we meet some of our great Irish Fest Friends.

I teamed up with JJ who is my alien musician friend from Jiggle Jam, and headed to make friends at Midwest Kids Fest.   I met little Finn, who is named for one of my favorite giants, Finn MacCool, I saw three acts from Irish Fest this year, Mr Stinky Feet, Rockin Rob and Keith Leff.   I got lots of hugs from Amy Hillbrich Davis (http://www.inspiringmoms.com/about-inspiring-moms/amy-hilbrich-davis/) and Ran and the greatest family of volunteers that I love.   We all need to say goodbye to Jonathan, who is leaving for Harvard this morning. He has been a wonderful Children's volunteer, quick with a smile and full of great love for our Irish Fest Kids, but we are counting on the rest of the clan to take up his slack and help us through!   The Davis car named Clifford (big and red) will bring the other six Davis family members to Irish Fest this year, and word is Amy and Ran may even get a date night!

Two very important Cosgrove's were at the event who may be future Kid's Club Members, good to see them and Mom, Jeni.   Lyda, are you ready for the Kid's Club, Erin would love to bring you?

Let's see the Horton family was there, all six kids will be joining us at Irish Fest! A couple of them will step in as volunteers this year.

We met lots of kids who were excited about costumes and on site Treating (that is trick or treat without the tricks - although Keith Leff said he could teach some magic).

It was a REALLY GOOD few days, KC Pumpkin Patch was giving away all kinds of prizes at our booth, wait until you see what they have for Irish Fest this year! Any yes, the pirate ship will be back!

Finally, Kid's Club President Mackenzie and Treasurer Mikayla were on hand to talk to the Irish Fest Kids and tell them about all the fun and exciting plans for just 11 days away (and counting).

Moora

Craft - Children's Area

2010-08-18T08:14:00.000-07:00

One of our best sponsors is Miss Julie from ARTRAGEOUS (http://www.artrageouskc.com/). She has been working diligently on an art project for all the Irish Fest Kids to make and take home. This year it will be your first Halloween Decoration, how special is that?

Be sure and join Miss Julie and her Artrageous project!

Moora

POOOR Nameless Cow

2010-08-17T06:34:00.000-07:00

This wonderful mascot of the 2010 Kansas City Irish Fest and some lucky young person will get to name her. She will take her place as our blog sponsor until nex year and she must have a fitting name as that will be the blog's name. And if you are the winner of Naming her, you will win her. We have this giant 4 ft cow that will go home with the person who names her. Name her at Irish Fest or send your name to KCIFCHILDRENS@EVERESTKC.NET. Think Irish and be orginal!

Trick or Treat

2010-08-16T20:51:00.000-07:00

Irish Fest will have Trick or Treating and a costume contest this year, so what will you be coming as?

Check the schedule and be there for the Parade and Costume Contest on Saturday and Sunday, or just the Costume Contest on Friday.

Fun Times for All!

Moora

6th Annual Kansas City Feis

2010-08-12T20:16:00.000-07:00

A Feis (, roughly fesh) or Fèis (, roughly fyesh) is a traditional Gaelic arts and culture festival. Kansas City Feis (http://www.kcfeis.com/) is entering their 6th year, and the Kid's Club would like to proudly say we have two dancers that we know will be the best in this competition. So, here is to Kelsey and Colleen! I am going to ask them to tell us a bit about the Feis, and if you have time, we suggest you drop in while you are visiting Irish Fest.

To watch this competition and see these kids work is amazing, so enjoy the opportunity!

Moora

Trick or Treat

2010-08-12T10:57:00.000-07:00

Did you hear? Do you know? Not only is there a costume contest each day sponsored by our good friends at KC Pumpkin Patch, we also will have trick or treating with no tricks please. Vendors will look forward to seeing you for trick or treats this year!

Meet Katie

2010-08-03T17:38:00.000-07:00

I love the Irish fest because I enjoy celebrating my heritage!

-Katie McCoy

What more can I add about Katie, oh, except she is an awesome painter!

Meet Amy...Another Face Painting Guru

2010-08-01T17:35:00.000-07:00

Here is what Amy said...

I love being a part of the Irish fest, every year it feels like a family reuion with all the staff and volunteers. I also enjoy Mass and breakfast with friends as well as the beautiful culture of the weekend. It is my vacation to Ireland (only I have to paint a few faces in between the fish and chips!) The Irish Fest has also blessed me with a better knowledge of a small part of my family history, as my great grandma's family was from Ireland. I cherish being a part of the festival and am excited to see what new experience I will have this year.

I met Amy a long time ago, she has been with us for six years at Irish Fest and we couldn't put smiles on so many faces without her. Amy is the one who hosts all of us ever year, (coming up a week from Monday) to work on all those faces that are offered at Irish Fest each year.

Meet MJ...an artist in Face Painting...

2010-07-25T11:17:00.000-07:00

I have a difficult time describing the love, care and prep work that the Face Painting Team does to get ready for Irish Fest. MJ has so much energy, and is there for Irish Fest every year, with a huge smile and has made so many kids happy over the years...MJ is certainly part of our family in the Children's area.

Here is what MJ says:
Why I love Irish Fest: We have so much fun painting all the kids- each year we paint many of the same families- we have watched these kids grow up… This is our Irish Fest Family even if it is just for one weekend a year- we love, play and laugh through the entire thing- I wouldn’t miss it for the world!

Here is one of the favorite faces for fashionable young women of all ages! Here is what MJ says:

Photo is of one of my favorite faces from Jiggle Jam this year- just made it up on the spot! Love it!

Thanks MJ! Here is MJ working on a butterfly...

Moora
Face Painters wanted to remind you just because we are in the Children's area doesn't mean you have to be a child, we want to see all of you with your faces painted this year! Celebrate Halloween with us!

How Do We Make the Children's Area Fun?

2010-07-21T14:39:00.000-07:00

Mostly with a lot of help! You have had a chance to meet the Kid's Club, not sure if we would have a Children's area without them, but there are so many other people who work really hard for us, like our stage entertainment; we have been saluting them for weeks. Now, over the next couple of weeks, I have some really important people for you to meet!

DJ- The Balloon Guy

What to say about DJ? He is one of the best finds the Irish Fest ever had. It was one of the co-chairs, Anne who found DJ a loooooong time ago, we went to see his work and were sold, and then we met him. WOW! All we can say is DJ is a delight, and as tradition goes, I always get the last balloon art he is doing!

Here is what DJ says about Irish Fest:

Without a doubt my favorite things about Irish Fest are the families and the great music. The families and kids are just awesome!!!!! They makes for such a fun event. The music, well it is one great band after another

Where do you find DJ? Typically in or near the Children's Main Tent!

Moora

PS More tomorrow!

Festival Announcement from KCIF Children's Sponsor - KC Pumpkin Patch

2010-07-17T14:14:00.000-07:00

KC PUMPKIN PATCH Announces U-Pick Pumpkins for the Whole Family

Gardner, Kansas- KC Pumpkin Patch, known for family fun throughout the Fall, is proud to announce that U-Pick pumpkins are ready. From Atlantic Giants to Baby Boo’s, a wide variety of pumpkins and gourds are available. The annual Pumpkin Festival celebration will kick off September 25 at 10:00 a.m. The Festival celebration is a favorite year after year and promises to be a fun‑filled day of family entertainment. The celebration will include 1,000’s of U-Pick Pumpkins, food booths, and over 40 special children’s activities!

For those hungry folks, a wide variety of mouth watering Festival Foods will be offered: hamburgers, hot dogs, barbeque and more. The Festival would not be complete without homemade Cider & Pumpkin doughnuts, fresh fudge, Funnel Cakes, Kettle Corn, Cotton Candy, Apple Cider Slush’s and Carmel Apples.

In addition to the Festival Food and great pumpkin hunting, children will have the opportunity to participate in Old –Fashioned Fun. Children will enjoy activities such as: Kansas City’s 1st JUMPING PILLOW, Paintball Gallery, Old Barnyard Petting Zoo, Barrel Train, Rope Maze, Hayrack ride, Haunted Barn, Humpty Dumpty Rock Climbing Wall, Game Corral, Gourd Gun, Yellow Brick Road Train Ride, Zip Line, Peddle Go Carts, Mining for Gemstones, and MUCH, MUCH, MORE! You’ve never seen a pumpkin patch like this before!

Visit www.kcpumpkinpatch.com and www.kccornmaze.net for a complete listing of the Festival Fun!

For Irish Fest, get a taste of this fun FEST as our sponsor brings special things like a giant Pirate Ship and sponsors our Costume Contests this year.

Baggin for Gold

2010-07-11T17:56:00.000-07:00

Baggin for Gold

We have a new family game this year. The name is Baggin for Gold, the play is that your family of four will stay in the game as long as they are winning the game. Once a family is defeated, the new reigning family takes over. Stay tuned for location of the game.

Moora

Driscoll School of Irish Dance

2010-07-10T15:41:00.000-07:00

Have you ever wondered how to Dance like the Irish Dancers? Stop Wondering. Bridgid Driscoll is going to entertain us with her talent, make us smile and yes, even teach us a few things about Irish Dance.

We are so excited to welcome Bridgid whose long time dream has been to open an Irish Dance School; well she has done that too!

Watch for the Children's Stage Schedule...coming soon. And get a front row seat for Bridgid's Workshop.

Have you ever seen a cow do Irish Dancing? Stay Tuned!

Moora

Where O Where Are Our Face Painters?

2010-07-09T09:25:00.000-07:00

Just talked to many of the Face Painters that come and do their magic at KCIF Children's, and you know where they are? They are in Anaheim at the Baseball 2010 All Star Game painting faces! How fun is that? Kristi, Amy, and MJ all said hi and will be in Irish Fest Mode soon, we have a practice day and meeting coming up. Any special faces you want for our Halloween fun?

Moora