No Time To Sleep This Weekend

Friday at last, and if you're looking for something Irishy to do this weekend, you could hardly ask for more options.

Tonight of course means Eddie Delahunt kicking off the weekend at Mike Kelly's Westsider. Stop by around 6:00 to catch Eddie and Gabe and who knows who else.

My friend and long-time Celtic Fringe president Mike Casey is presenting a talk on the Big Fella himself, "Michael Collins: Revolutionary" at 2:00 p.m. Saturday at The Irish Museum and Cultural Center in Union Station. Mike is a reporter for the Star and spend a few years living in the north of Ireland. He knows his stuff and this should be a fascinating talk. No charge for this one.

Saturday night, also at the station (this time at The Whistle Stop) The Elders perform at 9:00. That show, a fundraiser for the Cultural Center, is not free. Tickets cost $25 or $20 to IMCC members. Come early for a pre-party at 7:30. This is your last chance to see the boys before they storm Ireland with Enter The Haggis, so don't miss it.

Sunday take a trip back in time and witness a Civil War Irish Regiment Encampment between noon to 4:00 p.m. Re-enactors from the Missouri Irish Brigade will be on hand with an authentic look back at the conflict into which a lot of our fresh-off-the-boat ancestors were thrust. One of the "soldiers" re-enactor Jim Beckman will speak on "The Irish Contributions to the Civil War" at 1:00 p.m. A panel discussion will follow. Admission to Sunday's events are $5, $4 for members, $2 for students, free 12 and younger. Call 816-474-3848, or go to irishmuseum.org for more details.

Whew. Busy enough now?