Irish Thought for July 1...

Meet the Irish Fest Kids' Club!!!

I would like to introduce you all to members of Kids' Club through ongoing segments.  They meet throughout the year to help work on the Fest.  I am so proud of all of their ideas and feedback that we have been able to make happen at Irish Fest.  There is a reason they were shirts that read "Future Board Member" because I know they will be running KC Irish Fest in the years to come.

Meet Q (Nathanial Q)

I could say the obvious things about Q, that he does life with a vengeance.    He plays hard, eats very well, has so much energy that he can’t sit still; and he does his thinking on his feet.   I always wonder what they do for him in his Junior High as he paces and comes up with those great ideas for Irish Fest.    Not so super conducive to schools, but they would benefit by letting him up, I could tell them!  He is one of our kids that has grown up in front of my eyes.  He sees needs like nobody else, for instance two years ago I gave a group of volunteers my caution about drinking water and staying hydrated.  Q saw more than I did, he grabbed a wagon and started delivering water.  He knew the importance for us, for the volunteers and wanted our priceless volunteers to be able to work and to stay safe.  Last year he spent his time at the rock wall, and managed a smile after the hours and hours in the sun.   This picture is the side I never see of Q, but after living his life the way he does every day getting and giving the most, I am very sure he sleeps like he’ll never wake up, thankfully he does, and starts the day anew.

Irish Thought for June 30...

Irish Writers

Irish Murdoch

Born in Ireland, Irish Murdoch gained fame for her sociopolitical novels with themes of morality and the unconscious.  Her first book, Under the Net, published in 1954, was selected in 2001 by American Modern Library as one of the 100 best 20th-Century English-Language Novels.  Murdoch was made a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1987.

Irish Thought for June 29...

Meet the Irish Fest Kids' Club!!!

I would like to introduce you all to members of Kids' Club through ongoing segments.  They meet throughout the year to help work on the Fest.  I am so proud of all of their ideas and feedback that we have been able to make happen at Irish Fest.  There is a reason they were shirts that read "Future Board Member" because I know they will be running KCIF in the years to come.

Meet Andrea

Let me introduce you to Andrea.  Although she is new member of the club, she has been attending Irish Fest since she was very young.

Tell us about yourself.
I am 9 years old and I attend Sunset Valley Elementary in Lees Summit.

Why do you love Irish Fest?
I love Irish Fest because there is so many fun things to do like doing crafts.

How long have you been involved?
This is my first year as part of Kids Club. I am excited to help choose the stuff that we get to do. I have been coming to Irish Fest every year to see my mom, who is a face painter and now I get to work with Kids Club.

Why you are in the Kid’s Club?
Because I thought it would be fun to help plan what kids do at Irish Fest.

What do you do for the Children’s Area at Irish Fest?
This is my first year so I will follow a more senior member and learn what to do this year.

If you had one thing to ‘don’t miss’ at the Festival, what would it be?
Everybody has to hear the bands!

Name your favorite bands or activities through the years?
Red Hot Chili Pipers

What are your hobbies?

My hobbies are Tae Kwon Do and swimming and making crafts. I was recently ranked District Campion in Sparring for ATA Tae Kwon Do.

Irish Thought for June 28...

Irish Etymology

Hillbilly:  used in America to describe the 18th-century Presbyterian immigrants from Northern Ireland, based on their support of King William, which tagged them with the name "hillbillys" or "billy boys".

Irish Thought for June 27...

Irish Proverbs

A lie travels further than the truth.

Irish Thought for June 26...

Quotations

You know it's summer in Ireland when the rain gets warmer.
  -Hal Roach

Irish Thought for June 25...

Irish Toasts

Here's to you and yours
and to mine and ours.
And if mine and ours
ever come across to you and yours,
I hope you and yours will do
as much for mine and ours
as mine and ours have done
for you and yours!

Irish Thought for June 24...

Limericks!

There was an Old Man with a nose,
Who said, "If you choose to suppose,
That my nose is too long,
You are certainly wrong!"
That remarkable Man with a nose.

Irish Thought for June 23...

Irish-American Actors

James Cagney

James Cagney was an American film actor.  Although he won acclaim and major awards for a wide variety of roles, he is best remembered for playing "tough guys."  In 1999, the American Film Institute ranked him eighth among the Greatest Male Stars of All Time.  In 1938, he received his first Academy Award for Angels with Dirty Faces, before winning in 1942 for his portrayal of George M. Cohan in Yankee Doodle Dandy.  He was nominated for a third time in 1955 for Love Me or Leave Me.

Irish Thought for June 22...

Irish-American Movies

Angela's Ashes

Biopic of Irish-American author Frank McCourt.  Born to Irish immigrants in Brooklyn, New York, he rises out of extreme poverty to become a Pulitzer Prize-winning author aided by his family's soul-saving sense of humor.  Starring Emily Watson, Robert Carlyle.  Directed by Alan Parker.

Irish Thought for June 21...

Irish Symbols

Harps

The first renowned performers in Ireland were said to be harpists, who traveled around the country and in Europe, performing at festivals, celebrations, and for royal courts.  Battles were also fought with a harpist playing for the warriors.  The harp symbol has come to represent Irish artisans, craftsmanship, and industry, as on the Guinness logo.

Irish Thought for June 20...

Irish Food

Coddle

This hearty, satisfying, and inexpensive meal is a stew of pork sausage chunks and bacon with sliced potatoes, onions, and sometimes barley.  Coddle is associated with Dublin.  It was supposedly a favorite dish of Jonathan Swift, and the dish is referenced in several works, including the books of James Joyce.  The terms comes from the slow simmering of the dish, and is often eaten in the winter months.  Traditionally, the recipe called for the addition of a small amount of Guinness to the mix.

Irish Thought for June 19...

Irish Musicians

Sinéad O'Connor

The Irish singer-songwriter Sinéad O'Connor, known for her powerful voice, turbulent career, and shorn head, was born on December 8, 1966.  She had a massive international hit in 1990 with the song "Nothing Compares 2 U," written by Prince, and since then, she has become controversial with her outspoken views on religion, women's rights, and war, while still being a successful singer.

Irish Thought for June 18...

Irish Proverbs

Those who get the name of rising early may lie all day.

Irish Thought for June 17...

Irish Trivia

Although mostly denuded of trees since the 17th century, Ireland was supposedly covered with dense forests before then.

I wonder what happened to all the trees...???

Irish Thought for June 16...

Quotations

Ireland, sir, for good or evil, is like no other place under heaven, and no man can touch its sod or breath its air without becoming better or worse.
  -George Bernard Shaw

Irish Thought for June 15...

Irish Curses

May you be inflicted with the itch and have no nails to scratch with!

Irish Thought for June 14...

Irish-Americans by the Numbers

Only 10 percent of the Irish-Americans report living under the poverty line, as opposed to 14 percent of Americans as a whole.

Irish Thought for June 13...

Irish Movies

Intermission

Set in Dublin, this convoluted tale of interwoven love stories reflects upon how we affect the lives of those around us.  Starring Cillian Murphy, Kelly Macdonald, and Collin Farrell.  Directed by John Crowley.

Irish Thought for June 12...

Irish Folklore

The Dark Man

The Far Dorocha, also known as the Dark Man, is a powerful servant dedicated to the fairy queen.  He might perform her menial domestic tasks, or, on the queen's orders, ride his black horse to our realm to capture a mortal who has taken her fancy.  Although he is always silent, the Dark Man can make any humans surrender their wills to his command, and they climb onto the back of his steed without protest.  His fairy horse exhales fire from its nostrils as it races through the night, setting alight hedgerows across the countryside from the speed of their passage.  Almost always, the mortal's journey to land of the fairies is a one-way trip.

Irish Thought for June 11...

Irish Toasts

There are only two kinds of people in the world: the Irish, and those who wish they were.

Irish Thought for June 10...

Limericks!

There was a Young Lady whose bonnet
Came untied when the birds sate upon it;
But she said, "I don't care!
All the birds in the air
Are welcome to sit on my bonnet."

Irish Thought for June 9...

Irish-American Heroes

A rich merchant named Oliver Pollock (1737 - 1823) was celebrated for lending $300,000 to the United States during the Revolutionary War, assuring the victory of his friend General George Washington.  Pollock is also credited as the creator of the dollar sign in 1778.

Irish Thought for June 8...

Happy Birthday to the Irish Fest Kids VIP!

This is for Shawn, the Head of the Kids' Area, for her birthday!!!!!!! 

May God grant you always...
A sunbeam to warm you, 
a moonbeam to charm you, 
a sheltering Angel so nothing can harm you. 
Laughter to cheer you. 
Faithful friends near you. 
And whenever you pray, Heaven to hear you.

Irish Thought for June 7...

Irish-American Celebrities

Jimmy Fallon

An American stand-up comedian, television host, actor, and musician, Jimmy Fallon is the host of Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, a late-night talk show that airs Monday through Friday on NBC.  Fallon is well-known for his work on Saturday Night Live as well as several feature films.

He is also known for his love/hate friendship with host Stephen Colbert.  Some funny things have taken place in their on-again off-again relationship!

Irish Thought for June 6...

Quotations

I saw a fleet of fishing boats.  I fled down, almost touching the craft, and yelled at them, asking if I was on the right road to Ireland.  They just stared.  Maybe they didn't hear me.  Maybe I didn't hear them.  Or maybe they thought I was just a crazy fool.
   -Charles Lindbergh

Irish Thought for June 5...

Irish Writers

George Bernard Shaw

The Irish playwright George Bernard Shaw started his career writing literary and misc criticism, although he soon had great success as a dramatist, with more than 60 plays to his credit.  Shaw's dramas have starkly sociopolitical themes, but with a strong sense of humor.  He was awarded the Nobel Prize for literature in 1925, and in 1938, he won an Academy Award for his screenplay adaption of his own play Pygmalion.  Shaw is the only person to have a Nobel Prize and an Oscar.

Irish Thought for June 4...

Irish Blessings

If God sends you down a stony path, may He give you strong shoes.

Irish Thought for June 3...

Irish Proverbs

Humor to a man is like a feather pillow.  It is filled with what is easy to get but gives great comfort.

Irish Thought for June 2...

Irish-American Movies

Far and Away

Tom Cruise plays a poor but proud Irish tenant farmer who accompanies the spoiled and headstrong daughter (Nicole Kidman)of a wealthy landlord to America in a quest for land.  Directed by Ron Howard.

Irish Thought for June 1...

Irish Drink

Mead

Possibly first created by Irish monks during the Middle Ages, mead is a time-honored honey wine that has been celebrated in Gaelic folklore and poetry.  The traditional home brew was simple: honey, water, and usually yeast, with added spices, fruits, or grain mash depending on local recipes.  According to taste variations, the result, after months of fermentation, could be still or sparkling, and sweet, semi-sweet, or dry. Mead has taken a major role in ancient and modern wedding ceremonies as the drink of choice for a toast.  The tradition of newlyweds drinking mead for a month after their wedding may be the origin of the word honeymoon.