Welcome!

Now that we're inside the magic final month to Irish Fest, I know there are a lot of you who are visiting here for either your first time since last Irish Fest or your first time ever. To you I say welcome, and also would it have killed you to drop by in the winter when I was reduced to posting crap like this and this?

But I'm grateful for this late summer readership spike, don't get me wrong. I'm sure it's just as hard for you to be interested in Irish Fest year 'round as it is for me to try to find something interesting to write about it year 'round. So, yes, welcome. If you're new here in Tir na Blog, here's a primer on what goes on, to make yiz feel at home like.

Tir na Blog is updated almost every day -except some weekends when Uncle Bloggy has had too much hooch to type- all year long even when the most important thing I can come with to tell you is how many day are left until we open. Incidentally, days until Irish Fest are often expressed in terms of animal gestation periods, such as today. We open in 31 days which is the average gestation period of a chipmunk, which is a true, look-upable fact. I think this gives our little countdowns some real-world significance for you, and makes you subliminally associate us with cute little furry things, which has got to help ticket sales somehow.

We cover all aspects of the Kansas City Irish Fest here, from band profiles to fest policy changes to breaking Irish Fest news to rare inside looks at how Irish Fest really works. Occasionally (27 times this year so far) we're graced with a special address from Ed Scanlon, president of the Irish Fest Board of Directors. These are called "Ed Said" and are where you'll find the really important stuff, him being a president and all. Ed is a lame duck and leaves the board after this year's fest so enjoy him while you can. Next year's president will be Ed Follis, chosen by the board for the position so we wouldn't have to come up with a new name for the presidential blog postings.

In addition to Ed, guest bloggers fill in a couple times of year when I check into rehab. These have in the past included such Fest luminaries as directors Barney Walsh and Ed Follis and committee chairs Dave Shaughnessy, Cami Travis-Groves and Shawn Sullivan. They are all also much more interesting than me and should be read eagerly.

We don't forget the kids here at Tir na Blog, because if there's one thing I know it's that kids love blogs. So every once in awhile we open the doors to Uncle Bloggy's Story Hut and invite the children to enjoy a delightful tale that may or may not have anything remotely to do with Irish Fest. I'm pretty sure kids love these, though I have absolutely nothing to base that assumption on, and in fact have been told by my two sons that the blog is "lame" and that I'm a "loser" and that I should "stop hitting them."

You may also notice that I ask you to volunteer from time to time. Some people have have asked that I stop doing that so much, that it's irritating. So I promise I'll stop. Just as soon as all the volunteer posts are filled.

Comments are always welcome, and you can post yours by clicking on the word "comments" and doing whatever you're supposed to do next. I think maybe you have to write one of those jumbled up words or something. We also have contest now and again, such as in limerick writing and photo caption contests. I'm going to be announcing a new one as we get closer to the fest too, so stay tuned. If you have a comment or question you don't want posted for all the world to see, feel free to e-mail me directly at danny@kcirishfest.com.

So, you're all very welcome here and I hope we'll become best friends and you'll read all year long and let me borrow your lawn mower and drive me to the airport and borrow your truck when I have to move a refrigerator and paint each other's toe nails and do all the other things best friends do. Most of all I hope you'll come to Irish Fest, because if you don't that means that all the time I spend writing about it has been wasted and my sons were right all along.