The 3 gigs on St Patrick’s Day by Rattle & Hum, Kansas City’s U2 tribute band, have been added to the KC Irish Events calendar.

That’s 3 - one in the morning at the KC Live! thing in the P&L, one in the afternoon at the Beaumont Club, and the final one in the evening at the Irish Hooley in Waldo co-hosted by Lew’s Grill & Bar & The Well, though R&H are appearing at The Well.

Times etc are on the Kansas City Irish events calendar.

Read: U2 Tribute Band Rattle & Hum on St Patrick’s Day in KC 2010 »

Ashley Davis is back in Kansas.

Since leaving Kansas Ashley has studied and performed in Nashville, studied Irish music in Ireland - earning a Masters in Traditional Irish Music at the University of Limerick (where her father was a guest lecturer), performed regularly in New York, written & performed music for movies, and been an artist in residence of the Isle of Man.

At the University of Limerick, she specialized in DADGAD guitar, which included studying and working with John Spillane. After Limerick Davis was chosen as the soloist for Michael Flatleys Lord of the Dance where she went on to spend a year.

In October Davis moved back to Lawrence and although she is performing in her former home of New York city on St Patrick’s Day, her new - and original - home is not getting neglected.

Ashley Davis is performing 2 concerts at the Lawrence Arts Center this Sunday, March 14, 2010. At 2pm there’s a “Celtic Kids Show” followed at 7pm by “Celtic Music”. In both performances Ashley is accompanied by native Irish speaker, the harpist Cormac De Barra.

In case you don’t know, Cormac De Barra has played with The Chieftains and the Irish Harp Orchestra, Clannad, Cathy Jordan (of Dervish), Liam Ó Maonlaí, Brian Kennedy, and Moya Brennan. Have a listen to De Barra on MySpace.

The pair will perform tracks from her Davis’ new album, “Down by the Sea,” that she recorded last year in Dublin. The 11-song disc features a who’s who of traditional Irish musicians, including The Chieftains’ Paddy Moloney, Cherish the Ladies’ Joanie Madden and Clannad’s Moya Brennan.

Davis stresses her belief that traditional Irish music is something that grows:

“I see that it really needs to have people creating music that is a nod at the tradition but it’s also new. It’s not the same song being done in a different way over and over again. … If they like the voice, they’re going to buy your album. It doesn’t have to have ‘Danny Boy’ on every record.”

See Ashley’s official website

Read more about Ashley Davis, including her fans in the Irish literary world, in the Lawrence Journal-World

These events have been added to the KC Irish Events calendar

Read: Irish Music by Ashley Davis »

Well actually a magazine.

The current edition (#12 March-April, 2010) of KC Studio, Kansas City’s guide to the performing, visual, and cinematic arts, features a host of people from the Kansas City Irish community that we know and love.

Starting at page 40 in its online version (38 on the printed page) you can read Rachel Casey on the Irish Museum & Cultural Center, Renata Henley on teaching the Irish language, Kerry Browne on neighborhood and community, Bob Reeder on heritage and Irish music, and Ian Byrne on national identity and folk rock.

Read: KC Irish Get Their Name In The Paper »

The family friendly Snake Saturday Parade & Festival (with its adjacent BBQ Contest) in NKC boasts the largest St Patrick’s related event in the KC Metro area. Presumably after the main Kansas City St Patrick’s Day parade itself that is? Correction The Snake Saturday parade is indeed larger than the Kansas City one with 125 floats/entries to KC’s 112. And Brookside also has more parade entries with 124.

Parade
The 2010 parade route starts at 14th & Swift, goes north to Armour, east to Howell and south to 18th Ave. You’re advised to get there between 9:30 and 10am if you can (the parade starts at 11am) , drive the route and figure out where you want to be.

The parade theme is “2010: An Irish Odyssey”. Harry Baker will be announcing from the Judges’ Reviewing Stand at Armour & Howell. Debbie Van Pelt-McEnroe will announce in front of CVS at Armour & Swift.

Parking
There’s tons of FREE parking. If you want to hear info about the floats, park near Armour & Swift or Armour & Howell. If you want to be near the festival, try to park near 18th Ave, near the bowling center.

Weather
Accuweather forecast is currently showing cloudy but dry in the morning, 43 at 10am, and getting up to 48 when the parade ends, and 50 by 3pm - with only a slight chance of rain at 2pm.

Festival
From 10am - 3pm at 18th Avenue & Fayette

Carnival Midway, Yummy Food, Race Car Show, Mascot Mania
FREE Childrens’ Square open from 11am - 3pm includes kiddy train rides, petting zoo, balloons, face painting, pony rides & entertainers from TheaterTech

BBQ Contest
The Missouri Championship Barbecue Contest will still be held adjacent to the Snake Saturday Festival. This year it is being hosted by NKC’s Rotary Club. For information see www.nkcrotary.org

Irish Events
Snake Saturday Parade & Festival are posted on the KC Irish Events calendar

Read: Snake Saturday 2010 North Kansas City »

From Dublin, Ireland, Mr Eddie Delahunt is an institution of things Irish in Kansas City, and much in demand throughout the year.

But for some reason even more people want to see him perform his Irish music during the month of March.

Here are Eddie’s gigs for the 2010 St Patrick’s Day season:

Friday March 12 Mike Kelly’s Westsider, 6-9pm
Saturday March 13 Immaculata Highschool Auditorium Leavenworth KS, 8pm
Sunday March 14 Shawnee St Pats Parade, after the parade
Sunday March 14 O’Dowd’s Little Dublin, The Plaza, 8pm
Monday March 15 Blue Note, Columbia MO, 8pm
Tuesday March 16 with John Morris, Marriott Downtown KC, 4:30-7pm

Wednesday, March 17, St Patrick’s Day,
Mike Kelly’s Westsider at about 1.30 - 4pm-ish.
O’Dowd’s Little Dublin On The Plaza at about 4.30 - 9.30pm-ish

And Eddie says he hopes you have a ball, which if you are given to gratuitous Gaelic references could mean a Gaelic Football, but I suspect it doesn’t.

These events have been posted on the KC Irish Events calendar where you’ll see loads of St Patrick’s Day stuff and loads more to be added.

Do check out the page on Eddie Delahunt for Eddie’s regular gigs where people don’t wear green.

Read: Eddie Delahunt St Patrick’s Day Season 2010 »