Waxy O’Shea’s KC Pub - And There’s More
More information on Waxy O’Shea’s Irish Pub of Shawnee, Kansas came out via the Shawnee Dispatch today.
We’ve pretty much covered most of it before, it’s just in more detail here on the background of the owners Lee Sanford and Bob Ridenhour, as well as the make-up of the pub:
The restaurant has been remodeled to complete the authentic pub feel. The bar was made by a pub company in Ireland, and the pictures and posters that decorate the walls are from Ireland. A few TVs on the walls are tuned to Setanta Sports, an Irish sports network.
“A lot of the pubs, in Dublin and big cities, all the old ones are Victorian-era pubs that were very elaborate and had a lot of stained glass and brass,” he said. “That’s kind of the feel we’re going with.”
Ridenhour also got a road sign for Listowel, Ireland, one of Shawnee’s sister cities, which is displayed behind the bar.
Perhaps the most important thing we learn is that the grand opening event is planned for some time in early September - the opening of last month being a soft opening.
Long-time readers will spot some things in the article that I just can’t let go.
Firstly, craic is not an old Gaelic word; it is a brand new Gaelic word and that’s just fine, though in an English language sentence it should be highlighted the way words outside the language are.
Secondly I’m aware of stories of one or two Irish characters called Waxy because they were candlemakers, but that is not the same as the word being an Irish term for candlemaker. For example, the candlemakers in my family weren’t called Waxy. I do agree though that the name lends the pub tones of fun and interest compared with the more formal WJ McBride’s.
Thirdly, are Scotch Eggs a classic Irish dish? And not an English picnic dish from the mid-nineteenth century? I understand the desire, need even, to provide dishes commonly eaten in Ireland but that doesn’t make them Irish dishes - unless you consider pizza Irish.
And finally, traditional Irish breakfasts are great, especially with both black and white pudding, but they don’t include fireworks, bockety old cars, or footballers without their proper registration. A sausage in ireland is not called banger - though it will be if you keep saying it.
But anyway, go read the whole article. You’ll find Lee makes a good fist of highlighting the very real difference between the pub culture that exists in Ireland compared to that of the US, and there’s some funky fears about the bricks and mortar expressed by some customers.
See More on Waxy O’Shea’s Irish Pub:
• Inside Waxy O’Shea’s Irish Pub of Shawnee, KS
• Waxy O’Shea’s Opening: New Irish Pub for KC
• Bob Reeder’s Irish Music at KC’s Waxy O’Shea’s Irish Pub
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