Eolaí gan Fhéile, author of Irish KC
This page contains background information about the author from the perspective of being Irish and his relationship to Kansas City. For more general information you could look at 101 Random Things About the Irish KC Author, if you are mad that is.
Q. Are you Irish?
A. Born and brought up in Dublin. Emigrated to the US in my thirties at the height of the economic boom known as the Celtic Tiger, against the migrant traffic which had many long-term Irish emigrants returning (I worked with many in the 5 years before leaving), and many new immigrants arriving from other countries. After 8 years in Kansas City I returned to live in Ireland in the autumn of 2007
Q. What does Eolaí gan Fhéile mean?
A. It’s a name. Eolas means ‘knowledge’ in Irish, and Eolaí comes from that, and means ‘Guide’. gan means ‘without’. And Féile means Feast (as in Saint’s Feast Day - e.g. St Patrick’s Day is Lá Fhéile Pádraig, or it also means Festival). Féile is aspirated with the ‘h’ when gan is placed in front of it. Put it all together, and you have Guide without a Feast Day/Festival. Either way it means I’m no saint.
Q. How Do I Contact You?
A. Either direct from the Contact Page, or just send an email to eolai at irishkc dot com. You can also contact me through my Twitter account. I should add that with IrishKC mostly dormant it’s not likely I’ll be in a position to post anything on the site for you - until further notice.
Q. But where can I send you a postcard/food/money/hate mail?
A. My mailing address in KC was is in Waldo
-currently in Ireland I’m of no fixed abode which is not as glamorous as it sounds - I’ll post a mailing address here if life ever settles down again.
Q. How do you pronounce Eolaí gan Fhéile?
A. Eolaí like the oley in Holey Moley Batman, gan like the english word ‘gone’, and Fhéile where the ‘h’ renders the ‘F’ silent and leave you with ‘ay’ (as in day), and ‘le’ as in ‘let’. Put it all together and you have oley gone ay-le
Q. Have You Anything Irish to Disclose in Kansas City?
A. Yeah. Here’s an exhaustive list.
Irish Festival Websites:
I created and maintained the websites of the Brookside Irish Fest, Westport Irish Fest, and Kansas City Irish Festival. I created the KC Irish Fest Blog in 2003 and authored it from the beginning until January 2006.
Other Kansas City Irish websites:
I once was responsible for the Celtic Fringe website, both design and content. I have also been responsible for creating the websites of WJ McBride’s Irish Pub in Overland Park, and Molloy Brothers Irish Pub in Westport. I have also maintained the website for WJ McBride’s Irish Pub in KCK. The website of the first annual Kansas City Feis was created and maintained by me.
Irish Festival Worker:
I was also committee captain of MCs for one Brookside Irish Fest, and was actual MC for the opening of that festival. And when you’re a volunteer you do much more than head committees. Among other festival functions, I have also worked the bars, handled backstage duties, and painted kids entertainment apparatus.
Irish Festival Vendor:
Separate to volunteer work, or paid web work, I have also been a self-employed vendor at the first three Kansas City Irish Festivals, where I offered my paintings of Ireland for sale.
At Irish and Celtic festivals in Kansas, Missouri, and surrounding states, I have worked with another vendor selling Celtic jewelry and clothing. And sometimes had a drink.
Irish Pub Quiz Trivia:
For 2 years I was MC of a Pub Quiz Trivia competition at Molloy Brothers Irish Pub, and for 4 years I compiled and was MC of a Multimedia Pub Quiz Trivia competition at WJ McBride’s Irish Pub in Overland Park, KS including their annual special Irish Pub Quiz Trivia night. Prior to that I participated in 3 seasons of Pub Quizzes at O’Dowd’s Little Dublin, being on the Grand Final winning team once. The Manager of O’Dowd’s asked me to do both their website and their quiz, but before I could answer, the manager was asked to leave.
Food from Irish Stores:
I have bought food in Browne’s Deli & Market, Sheehan’s Irish Imports, and Brits in Lawrence. I did intend to make it to the ones I hadn’t purchased from yet, like Doherty & Sullivan’s, but eventually I ran out of time before returning to live in Ireland.
Drinking in Irish Pubs:
I have drunk in every conceivable Irish pub (by whatever definition) in the region. I like American neighbourhood bars.
For some time my recorded voice was the Irish accent that greeted you on the phone at Harling’s Upstairs.
Irish Organizations:
I have been a member of the Celtic Fringe, and have been part of their (frequently award-winning) St Patrick’s Day Float Crew several times helping other harder workers and designers.
Irish Bookstore:
Having enjoyed being a customer so much, I then worked part-time for a year at (no longer existing) Bloomsday Books. On the bookstore’s annual celebration of Bloomsday itself I was a public reader of James Joyce’s Ulysses in all four locations of the store from Brookside to downtown to Crestwood.
Virtually Irish:
I am the creator and founder of The Four-Legged Dog, a virtual Irish Pub in the Kansas City Area exclusively for the Irish who immigrated to the US.
Irish Artist:
I paint. I painted a cow. I paint Ireland. I paint Kansas City. I paint things I’m not telling you.
Irish Web Work:
As well as working for myself as an artist, in Kansas City I worked for myself in Web Development, primarily in the area of Search Engine Marketing. As well as the Irish-American business community in KC, on occasion I produced web work for clients in Ireland. On returning to Ireland I went full-time as an artist.
American Web Work:
Like Irish KC I also write and publish other things - such as American Hell. Before all this I was employed by an Irish-American I.T. firm.
Trips Home to Ireland:
In the eight years I lived in the US I traveled home to Ireland 8 times.
Caveat:
Irish KC is only supposed to be fun. If it doesn’t do that for you, don’t worry about it and go and give somebody a hug. I’m sure they deserve it, and you’ve been reading this too long anyway.
Eolaí gan Fhéile:
I’m enjoying your KC focus, whimsy, and your clear affinity for Irish culture. We should keep in touch for mutual benefit, perhaps sharing news and promotion, whatever. We also eventually would like to locate a KC correspondent to join our stable.
Not finding your name here so you have me at a disadvantage.
Gerry Regan
Producer, TheWildGeese.com
917-741-9501
How do you say “Family” in Gaelic? Thanks, in advance!
“clann” Stephen. It’s actually in the Glossary
Hello, I was looking up how to say family in Gaelic and I came across two different words, you said clann is family and another website I found said that the word teaghlach was family. I can’t seem to find an answer so I hope you can help, my brother and I are going to get tattoos together with the word and I need it to be the right one. Thank you for your help in advance.
I am sorry to ask another question but I found another saying I liked about family and I just wanted to make sure the translation was correct. Muintir thar gach uile ní- family above all. If this translation is correct would you be able to give me the pronunciation also? Again thank you in advance!
Erin,
I should - and will - amend where I have “clann” as meaning family.
“Clann” was commonly taught in schools in Ireland to mean “family” and as such is commonly used by non-native speakers like myself to mean “family”, but it really only means “family” in the same sense in English that you might ask somebody if they are going to start a family i.e. it means “offspring” or “descendants”.
“Teaghlach” does mean “family” in the sense of parents and children living together. Relating to a household, it comes from the word “Teach” which means “house”. This word is most commonly used by native speakers in Gaeltacht areas.
Also “Muintir” - translated most commonly as “people”, is also used to mean “family”, usually with the name to refer to the wider family.
Remember, literal translations are not good if even possible, and context can give meanings to words that they don’t have when used in isolation.
If your tattoo is going to say just one word I imagine you want “Teaghlach”, but if it is to be combined with your family name or used with other words perhaps “muintir” is best for you. You might have a read through the forums on Daltaí na Gaeilge
Thank you so much for your help, I think I like the family above all saying -Muintir thar gach uile ní, for my tattoo. If you have any more suggestions I would really appreciate them. I just want a saying that shows how much my family means to me. Again thank you!
I think your explaination is brilliant, Eolai.
I’ve been taking Irish (language) class at the Irish Museum & Cultural Center w/ Renata (a lovely lady), and your explaination jives with the one she gave us as well - not that I’d ever doubt you (or that you’d need reassurance that you’re correct)!
Irish Mama, please do doubt me, especially on my Gaeilge which has gone so rusty these last few years. And I’m always up for a bit of reassurance (I have self-esteem issues)! Oh, and thanks.
I am a another ‘Erin’ who would love to have the phrase ‘Family Above All Else’ as a tattoo, and I’m so happy to have found this post since it gives me some added reassurance regarding the appropriate writing. The general consensus I have gathered regarding the saying is that it should read as follows: teaghlach thar gach uile ní .
I have also read elsewhere that if space is an issue, you can omit the word “uile” without compromising the meaning. Is this the case?
Do you fancy a pint?
Oh I do. See email.
My girlfriend wants to get a tattoo that says: Mo teaghlach, mo eolai solas. What does that mean? She wants to be sure before she obviously gets ink done. She thinks it means my family my guiding light. Is this accurate?
J.R. McFadden - Well, it’s kind of right but the problem with the translation you’re suggesting for My Family, My Guiding Light is that you’re taking an English expression and applying a literal translation.
In Irish lóchrann is the word that is used figuratively to represent a guiding light (literally it means torch/lantern). So that gives you Mo Teaghlach, Mo Lóchrann. You could always embellish and go with Mo Lóchrann Geal meaning ‘my shining torch’ - but a torch shines anyway - or it isn’t very good as torches go - so there’s really no need.
Rather than a form of the word eolaí (which can mean ‘guide’), if I was going to go with a literal translation (and I wouldn’t) I’d probably go with mo solas treorach for ‘my guiding light’. Sticking with a form of the word eolaí you could opt for mo réalt eolais which would be ‘my guiding star’
Anyway my vote would be with Mo Teaghlach, Mo Lóchrann.
I have two tickets to the Elders I can’t use - $60. Save the $8.50 handling fee per ticket and buy from me. I live in Overland Park. Email me if interested.
hello, i am about to paint a mountain and i know this painting style i’ve seen in pictures, the exact source of which i cannot claim right now. however, it occurred to me to “g_ _ g _ _” the phrase: pictures of painted mountains and i found one of your beautifully painted mountains on or about past number 45. and all i have been doing the last 30 minutes is to shamelessly admire your work. i am just so really, really happy i found it without so much fuss
Jill, thank you so very much. And good luck with your painting!