Q. What does Eolaí gan Fhéile mean?A. It's a name.
Eolas means 'knowledge' in Irish, and
Eolaí comes from that, and means 'Guide'.
gan means 'without'. And
Féile means Feast (as in Saint's Feast Day - e.g. St Patrick's Day is Lá Fhéile Pádraig, or it also means Festival).
Féile is aspirated with the 'h' when
gan is placed in front of it. Put it all together, and you have
Guide without a Feast Day/Festival. Either way it means I'm no saint.
Q. How Do I Contact You?A. Send an email to
eolai at irishkc dot comQ. How do you pronounce Eolaí gan Fhéile?A.
Eolaí like the oley in Holey Moley Batman,
gan like the english word 'gone', and
Fhéile where the 'h' renders the 'F' silent and leave you with 'ay' (as in day), and 'le' as in 'let'. Put it all together and you have
oley gone ay-leQ. Are you Irish?A. Born and brought up in Dublin. Emigrated to the US in my thirties at the height of the economic boom known as the Celtic Tiger, against the migrant traffic which had many long-term Irish emigrants returning (I worked with many in the five years before leaving), and many new immigrants from other countries.
Q. Have You Anything Irish to Disclose in Kansas City?A. I created and maintained the
websites of the Brookside Irish Fest, Westport Irish Fest, and Kansas City Irish Festival. I created and authored the KC Irish Fest Blog in 2005 up until January 2006. I once was responsible for the Celtic Fringe website, both design and content. I have also been responsible for the websites of WJ McBride's Irish Pub in Overland Park, and Molloy Brothers Irish Pub in Westport. I have also maintained the website for WJ McBride's Irish Pub in KCK. The website of the first annual Kansas City Feis was created and maintained by me.
I was also
committee captain of MCs for one Brookside Irish Fest, and was actual MC for the opening of that festival. And when you're a volunteer you do much more than head committees. Among other festival functions, I have also worked the bars, painted kids entertainment apparatus, and handled backstage duties.
Separate to volunteer work, or paid web work, I have also been a self-employed
vendor at the first three Kansas City Irish Fests.
At Irish and Celtic festivals in Kansas, Missouri, and surrounding states, I have worked with a vendor. And somtimes had a drink.
For two years I was MC of a
Pub Quiz Trivia competition at Molloy Brothers Irish Pub, and for four years I compiled and was MC of a Pub Quiz Trivia competition at WJ McBride's Irish Pub in Overland Park, KS. Prior to that I participated in three seasons of Pub Quizzes at O'Dowd's Little Dublin, being on the winning team once. The Manager of O'Dowd's asked me to do both their website and their quiz, but before I could answer the manager was asked to leave.
I have bought
food in Browne's Deli & Market, Sheehan's Irish Imports, and Brits in Lawrence. I intend to make it to the ones I have not purchased from yet.
I have
drunk in every conceivable Irish pub (by whatever definition) in the region. I like American neighbourhood bars.
I have been a
member of the Celtic Fringe, and have been part of a Float Crew helping other harder workers and designers.
Having enjoyed being a customer so much, I then
worked part-time for a year at Bloomsday Books.
I am the creator and
founder of
The Four-Legged Dog, a virtual Irish Pub in the Kansas City Area exclusively for the Irish who immigrated to the US.
I
paint. I painted a cow. I paint Ireland. I paint Kansas City. I paint things I'm not telling you.
As well as working for myself as an artist, I work for myself in
Web Development, primarily in the area of
Search Engine Marketing. Like Irish KC I also write and publish other things. Before all this I was employed by an Irish-American I.T. firm.
In the seven years I have been in the US I have
traveled home to Ireland seven times, and am planning a new trip shortly.
Irish KC is only supposed to be fun. If it doesn't do that for you, don't worry about it and go and give somebody a hug. I'm sure they deserve it, and you've been reading this too long anyway.
