We Have Winners!

Our 2008 Kansas City Irish Fest Contest Winners:

Baking Contest Grand Prize Winner, Ryan Kinnaman from Siloam Springs, Arkansas.

(Notice there’s only crumbs left of his award-winning Craisin White Chocolate Scones!)

“A group of us were headed to KC for the American Idol Concert on Labor Day weekend. Since we were going to be there the whole weekend I did some research on what's happening in the KC area and places of interest.

“My search brought up Irish Fest. As I dug into the website I found the baking contest and it was a scone contest. I don't consider myself an expert on scone making, but I thought I might have a chance. I do love to bake desserts and that seems to be my specialty. So why not enter, I've got nothing to lose.

“I was a little nervous as I walked to the booth because my scones were in a Rubbermaid container and my thoughts were embarrassment of a poor presentation. But the rules stated that it was not judged on presentation but appearance. So, away they go and I'm officially entered.

“All day I thought to myself, am I good enough to win a large scale competition like this and as 1 p.m. rolled around I got the call telling me I won. AWESOME! To me this was the grand prize, but it was only the beginning of the finals. I was entered in the finals, WOW, maybe I'll win,
maybe not. Sunday came and I got the call and I was crowned the champ.
SWEET!

“With bragging rights and the crown, I'll be back next year for the title.”
—Ryan

Congratulations Ryan! A great big thank you to Farm to Market Bread Company for donating the awesome bags of bread — everyone loved the bread and the cool bags! Thanks Lindsay! And a big thank you to Raglan Road Pub for donating a $100 gift certificate for the grand prize winner. Thanks Scott!

Knitting Contest Grand Prize Winner, Sherry McGinnis from Overland Park, Kansas, with her Grand Prize Ribbon.

"I had known about the knitting contest for months, but didn't really decide to enter a sweater until late June. With a busy summer, I was way behind, so I took it along when we drove to Indianapolis for a family wedding, the weekend before Irish Fest. My husband wasn't allowed to talk to me, as I was counting stitches, for the eight hours driving to Indy and the eight hours back. He seems to remember I only spoke to him to tell him to stop hitting all the bumps in the road, because I was dropping stitches and losing my place whenever we hit a rough spot. I think it was a very long trip for him, but I finished the sweater just in time! -Sherry"

-Congratulations Sherry! Her entry was this beautiful ivory cabled cardigan submitted on Saturday. The judges were not only impressed with the quality of the cabling, but they all commented on the seams being absolutely perfect.

A huge thanks go to Denise at Yarn Shop and More for the generous donation of gift certificates and the bags of yarn, including a $100 gift certificate for the grand prize winner. Thanks Denise!

Photography Contest Grand Prize Winner, Jason Pierce, from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, with his son.

“I would like to thank you again for picking this photo for the contest. The weekend was already wonderful and this just made it an even better
experience. I also appreciated the opportunity to speak one on one with Barry. It is hard to find someone with that ability willing to share some
insight. This truly meant a lot to me and was the biggest prize of all.

“The Celtic Cross in this photo is outside of St. Paul’s Episcopal Cathedral in downtown Oklahoma City. It is two blocks from where the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building stood before the April 19, 1995 bombing that destroyed the majority of the building and killed 168 people. Many of the surrounding buildings were damaged or almost destroyed by the blast. St. Paul’s Cathedral was one of the buildings hit and this Cross was damaged in that blast. It now guards the entrance to a courtyard still facing the direction of where the Murrah building once stood. Just below the cross is a large iron gate that reads April 19.

“Thank you so much. We cannot wait for next year’s festival and we already
have a few other people that want to come next year from OKC!”
-Jason

Congratulations Jason! An enormous thank you to photographer, Barry Hendrickson, without whom we wouldn’t have such a great contest, awesome prizes, and lively discussions with photography entrants. Barry generously donated a large framed print from his Ireland in Black and White series as grand prize, as well as smaller prints for the rest of the prize winners. Thanks Barry!

Our writing contest winner is Carrie Kabak from Kansas City, MO. Here's her winning entry. Congratulations, Carrie!

A FUNERAL IN BULDOON A story my grandmother told me

“Jesus,” hisses Bridie, walking two steps behind me. “Do we have to look at the body?”

“It’s expected. Mammy said so.” We peer into the coffin. Bridie’s fingers search for my hand. “Why are there pennies on his eyes?” “To keep them closed.” “Sure, he won’t be waking up, Ebby. He’s dead.” “Shut up, Bridie.” “Eibhlín, Bridie?” Great Aunt Maura’s voice is a frog’s croak. “Start knocking on doors, there’s good girls, and beg for the loan of a few brass candlesticks.” Then she sinks onto a stool, and buries her head in her hands, and Bridie looks at me, but I don’t know what to say, but we hold Great Aunt Maura until the shivering stops.

By nighttime, people are swarming the kitchen, clogging every corner.

“Ohhh, Dermot,” sighs Old Mary Godfrey. “Why did ye have to drown?” He was a fine man, she says, a good man, a holy man. “And all too fond of the potheen,” adds Ethna Fitton. “He sailed the naomhóg too far out,” whispers Kathleen Doody. “They found five empty bottles in the wreck.” “Dear Mother of God, no!” “The ould rascal!” Miss Dibbs, face as round as a cowpat, says it might be the best way to go, drunk as the divil himself. I look for Bridie, to find her with Mammy, who is urging Great Aunt Maura to take a bite of something, come on now, do, or maybe a little drop of tea, to give her strength. And Father Hegarty is saying, “Now, ‘tis well that Dermot went first, Maura. He’ll intercede for you in the next world, so he will.”

Then the Mullan boys troop in, expressing their sympathies, shaking their heads. Such a tragic, tragic occurrence, Maura, where will they play? Over here, perhaps, away from the door? Instruments are carried over shoulders, under arms, in pockets. The bodhrán, the uilleann pipes, the fiddle, a mandocello and border, and a tin whistle. The boys set little barrels on the floor to sit on, their legs spread wide. And the border is coaxed to cry its tune, and the fiddle ripples faster than a mountain stream, and soon the bodhrán is thumping, like a beating heart.
“AND one-two-three, one-two-three,” cries Gyles Pelly, flapping his elbows, hammering his feet. Then a miracle happens. Color seeps into Great Aunt Maura’s cheeks, and I catch the smallest tap of a foot…