Oldest Irish-owned Business in America? Happy St. Patrick's Day, Kansas City!

Did you know this?

The oldest Irish-owned business in America 

is right here in Kansas City

If you've never been, go.

Happy St. Patrick's Day, everyone.

Let's be careful out there.

Entertainment Overnight -- For St. Pat's

Danny Boy

Not Ireland But Scotland But Still Fantastic

It's off the Isles, anyway.

Happy St Patrick's Day

25 Little-Known Facts About St. Patrick's Day

Entertainment overnight

And a happy St. Patrick's Day and weekend to you.

Happy St. Patrick's Day

To Ireland, Pt. II

To Ireland

With thanks to Bob McWilliams, aka "Radio Bob" at KPR for this. Happy St. Pat's Day, y'all. Let's be careful out there.

On this St. Pat's Day

Seriously.

Happy St. Pat's

One of my favorite Irish songs--"Grace." Not the best version--I have that on CD at home. But a magnificent song. Happy St. Patty's Day, everyone. Let's be careful out there.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

I can think of no better way to celebrate St. Patrick's Day than with music and who better to do it than Connie Dover? (My many great thanks to KPR's and St. Joseph's own Bob McWilliams for introducing her music to me).

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

St. Patrick's Day trivia:

• First St. Patrick's Day parade took place in 1737 in Boston
• Saint Patrick was not Irish by birth; he was a Romano-Briton Christian missionary born in England
• St. Patrick's Day did not become a national holiday in Ireland in 1903 
• The first parade wasn't held in Dublin until 1931
• It is La Fheile Padraig--St. Patrick's Day--in Irish
• An estimated 13 million pints of Guinness will be consumed on St. Patrick's Day 2010, according to a Guinness spokesman  (holy cow)
• St. Patrick's true given name was Maewyn Succat
• The color originally associated with St. Patrick was blue
• Green became associated during the 19th century
• Saint Patrick was known for banishing dangerous animals from Ireland, particularly snakes, according to legend (but you knew that)
• St. Patrick's celebrations were originally religious festivals--and not that long ago, either
• There are more Americans of Irish origin than there are Irish in Ireland (36 million Americans claimed Irish ancestry in 2008; population of Ireland was 4.4 million at the time)
• The number of people in the US with actual Irish blood is decreasing mightily, over time
• There are four places in the United States named Shamrock (West Virginia, Texas, Indiana, Oklahoma)
• There are nine Dublins in the US (Dublin, California and Dublin, Ohio are most populous)
• The first St. Patrick's Day parade in New York City was 1762
• The first St. Patrick's Day parade in Kansas City was 1873 but the tradition died off until...
• Mike Murphy--God rest his soul--and friends rejuvenated the St. Patrick's Day Parade tradition rather famously here in Kansas City with an impromptu "parade" out of their bar and around the block on the 100th anniversary, in 1973.  It grew, yearly, after that, of course, to what it is today.
• If we hit 83 degrees today--as we well might--this will break a record and make it the warmest and most comfortable St. Patrick's Day for our parade, ever here in Kansas City.  Faith and begorrah!

Happy St. Patty's Day, y'all!  Enjoy!  Be safe and careful but enjoy!


Link:  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/03/17/st-patricks-day-history-m_n_502386.html#s74430

Warmest St. Pat's ever?

I mean, it's apparently not going to break any weather record but the forecast for tomorrow makes it the warmest St. Pat's Day I can remember--at least for quite some time.  

Do you suppose Mike Murphy and Bill Grigsby are up there pulling for us?

Happy St. Patrick's Day, y'all.  Enjoy.  Be safe but enjoy.

Sharp contrasts

 

Last evening on the Plaza was in sharp contrast to the night before, since the previous evening was all drinking and loud conversations.

As this shows, it was warm temperatures and wide open stores. It was really nice. While not yet completely, officially Spring, it surely felt like it.

And it's also in sharp contrast, apparently, to what it's going to be like on the Plaza this evening, when the rain comes in, and then this weekend, when the temperatures fall further and we get snow, if the forecast is correct.

But what the heck--last evening was terrific, Spring starts this weekend and next week has promises of temperatures in the 60's.

Somehow I think we'll make it.

Have a great weekend, everyone.

Happy St. Patrick's Day

As I write this, we're warming up in our area.

We were warmer today and the forecast is to hit nearly 80 degrees on this St. Patrick's Day.

Hip-hip-hooray.

The Dow was up about 700 points by the end of last week and we're almost into Spring.

Yow.

More hope.

As it is, I am on vacation and computer hook ups are unavailable (by my choice, really).

So my next entry here should be this coming Sunday.

I didn't want to miss this opportunity to wish you a Happy St. Patty's Day.