Guest Post

Shawn Sullivan-Warner, our Irish Fest empress of all things kid-related has asked for the keys to the old Tir na Blog jalopy and I'm happy to comply...especially since she says nice things about me. Her post:

My salute to Ron Einbender and Margaret Juhnke and artist Danny Regan.

As it gets close to the Fest, my mind wanders to the wonderful merchandise that I’ve seen a preview of thanks to the choices of Ron and Margaret and their team with the unmistakable artwork of Danny Regan.

I have to run to the Merchandise tent as soon as I am able and my husband, Mark always asks if we have to take out a bank loan?

Now, you ask, what do you do with all that merchandise? One thing I do is make everyone ask questions whenever I travel. I always have an Irish Fest shirt or jacket with me, and have been known to buy a pint for the first person who says what is the Kansas City Irish Fest? Great question, and one I enjoy answering. I particularly enjoy wearing my KC Irish Fest apparel in Boston, San Francisco, or New York where there is the belief that Midwesterners all came from Cowboy Blood. What I haven’t figured out is where the Cowboys came from, because I have one in my family and I know he is Irish.

Anyway, I digress with my cowboy brother Bob; we could, in fact we have written blogs about him alone. My Irish Fest apparel has traveled abroad with me. My other mission with merchandise is Christmas Presents. You should see the look on some lucky person’s face when they get an Irish Fest Sweatshirt for Christmas. They wanted it, and didn’t buy it, and now they are getting it as a present from their favorite sibling, aunt, Mom, you get the picture(me!). And then I get to start a whole new cycle of folks who wear Irish Fest Apparel at say Clemson University, right Sara?

And then those folks get to let people know about the wonderful party coming on Labor Day and that you better run, don’t walk to the Merchandise Tent when you get through the gates. Amazing and wonderful things to buy there this year, in fact every year! I did tell my husband that I would eventually need a new closet with my next 35 plus years of buying this wonderful stuff!

Heck, I have only been at this for 9 years, maybe two more closets?

Shawn Sullivan-Warner