Dublin-born Irish musician Eddie Delahunt has lived in Kansas City since 1989. His first St. Patrick's Day celebration here took him by surprise. "The Kelly green was everywhere and I went, 'Oh my gosh, what is this?' I was in shock," Delahunt said.
Since that first St. Patrick's Day, Delahunt has become a mainstay in Kansas City celebrations around the metro area. One of his first stops this year was the annual St. Pat’s Senior Ball, hosted by the Redemptorist Center Senior Citizens Club. The event is held in memory of St. Patrick’s Day Parade co-founder Pat O’Neill, Sr., a friend and mentor of Delahunt.
"I'm here for the St. Pat’s Senior Ball, the yearly event. I don't know how many years it's been, but it's been since old Pat (O'Neill), Sr. died," Eddie Delahunt said. "He was a good mentor to me, so I'm happy to be here for that." According to Delahunt, "The Wild Colonial Boy," a traditional Irish-Australian ballad, was Pat O'Neill, Sr.'s favorite song.
"It's amazing the amount of people that come together and even if there's a tiny bit of Irish in them, it comes out this season, and that's the reason I love being here around this time. It's my season too," Delahunt said.
In celebration of St. Patrick's Day, musician Eddie Delahunt will play on Friday, March 15 at 8:30 pm at Knuckleheads, 2715 Rochester Street, Kansas City, Missouri. (816) 483-1456. Sunday, March 17 from 1 pm - 9 pm at O'Dowd's Little Dublin, 4742 Pennsylvania Ave, Kansas City, Missouri. (816) 561-2700.
