Irish Center In The Irish Month

If you've never been to the recently rebranded Irish Center (formerly the clunkily named "Irish Museum and Cultural Center") here in Kansas City, let's make March the month to correct that oversight. Because if you can't find something to spruce up your shillelagh in March then it might be time for you to switch to another team, Paddy.

Check it out:

March 5
• 10th Annual Irish Gala at the Marriott Muehlebach Tower, honoring Bob “Sully” Sullivan, Jr. as the John J. Sullivan, Jr. 2011 Humanitarian Award Recipient; $150/individual ticket or $1,500 for a table of 10
• Missouri Irish Brigade Civil War Encampment 10a.m. – 4 p.m.

March 12
• Celtic Folk Crafts Demonstration 11 a.m.-4 p.m.

March 13
• Kansas City's Gaelic Athletic Club presents an intro to the Irish sports of Hurling and Gaelic Football. 1 p.m. – 3 p.m.

March 17 – St. Patrick’s Day!
• Family Fun Fair noon – 4 p.m.

March 19
• Multi-generational genealogy workshop

March 20
• Trad Music Session 1-4 p.m.

March 26
• Tommy Sands and His Irish Band Concert, a benefit for The Irish Center and Children for Peace, 7:00 p.m. at Rose Theatre, Rockhurst High School
Individual tickets $25, Gold Circle tickets $100/ea or $175/couple

March 29
• Book Club, 7 p.m. – The All of It by Jeannette Haien

• March 6 – 12 – Seachtain na Gaeilge
As a special treat, this year The Irish Center will be celebrating “Seachtain na Gaeilge” (Irish Language Week), a celebration of the Irish language through social interaction. Enjoy a different topic each night, such as learning “Pub Speak,” how to scold your kids in Irish, or even how to whisper a few little sweet-nothings in Irish. Each session is just one hour and there is no charge for Irish Center members (small fee for non-members). Come to one or come to all – but you won’t want to miss out on the Craic! Additional details at www.irishmuseum.org.

I want to draw particular attention to that March 26th event. I've seen Tommy Sands a couple times at the Milwaukee Irish Fest and you should not miss this show. With his son and daughter as his back-up band, Sands puts on show that's part history lesson, part music showcase and all entertaining. The Rose Theatre is nice venue for Tommy's intimate brand of music too. And of course it's a benefit for two good causes. So go, huh?