By: Jeff Meade

They got some crazy little women there, yes—and I would get me one, were it not for this trivial little matter of vows and a 26-year marriage—but as luck would have it, Kansas City also has a crazy man by the name of Liam Daly. Writing under his nom de blog Eolaí gan Fhéile, he authors IrishKC.com.

Call us crazy—hey, we've been called lots worse—but we have a soft spot in our hearts for an Irish city blog, produced on a shoestring budget.

Daly's self-portraits adorn his blog. I'm not sure what he really looks like, but if the drawings are any indication, it's a cross between a young Fidel Castro and an angry Santa Claus.

On the surface, Irish KC is a blog about, ummm ... Irish events in Kansas City. But there's a so much more to it.

For one thing, Liam evidently is back in Ireland. So at the moment, it's not about KC, except for the events listing, which evidently is on autopilot. (Amazingly complete, though.) For another, it's only tangentially about Irish stuff. Still, the writing is quirky and engaging, like Regis Philbin—except that Liam is not (thank God) Regis Philbin.

Take this recent example, from a November 24 post titled "Irish Conversation in the American Midwest #34:"

—Hey, just the person I was looking for
—Why’s that?
—I’m going to Ireland in a couple of weeks and I was wondering if I needed to bring a coat?
—It’s December
—I don’t know what it’s like in Ireland
—It’s December
—That doesn’t mean anything to me; I’ve never been to the southern hemisphere before
—No, neither have I. Ireland’s in the northern hemisphere, just like the US
—But it’s thousands of miles away?
—Yes, but northeast of here; you don’t cross the equator
—Oh
—So December in Ireland is winter, as it is here in the Midwest
—But do I need a coat?
—If it was summer you’d need a coat
—Huh?
—Bring a coat

Daly's "Irish Inventions and Their Inventors" (September 28, 2006) is at least equally loopy. It includes such illuminating nuggets as: "Irish Dancing—invented in 1994 by Michael Flatley using only baby oil, arm extensions, and a winning smile" and "Irish Tourism—invented in 1984 in Dingle by Fungi the Dolphin, using a harbour and several small tour boats."

Irish KC is well worth a visit just for the events listing. But it also stands out as a pretty cool example of what bloggers can do when they're as daffily inspired as Liam Daly. It's just a great little read.