Irish Museum lauds Nelly Don

BY: Charles Redfield, Staff Writer

Mark Coffey/Sun photo NICE DRESS: Dianne Peck, Lincoln, Mo. made the trip to Kansas City specifically for the Nelly Don exhibit at the Irish Museum and Culture Center in Union Station. Peck, a collector, vintage dress wearer and writer visited the museum to gain research to write about vintage dresses.

The Irish Museum and Cultural Center in Union Station celebrates the 250,000 Kansas City area residents who have Irish ancestry.

“There was not a gathering place for the people who claim Irish heritage,” Executive Director Rachel Casey said. “There was no place to collect the community's Irish history. There was no place for them to visit and use our genealogy resources, programs and look at our special exhibits.”

The center opened on St. Patrick's Day, March 17, in Union Station's lower west wing.

Hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday.

“People are free to browse,” Casey said. “If we have a special exhibit, there is a separate charge of $5.”

Casey said the Irish Museum and Cultural Center is designed to promote Irish heritage and cultural education/preservation and celebration.

The culture center offers a resource room for children and computers where visitors can trace their Irish genealogy through ancestryLibrary.com and HeritageQuest.

Casey said people interested in tracking their Irish genealogy should prepare by checking old family documents and interviewing family members.

The center plans to increase its library of Irish reference books and Irish fiction.

“We take donations of books (and) Irish artifacts related to the Kansas City Irish experience,” Casey said. “We also take cash donations.”

For more information, visit www.irishmuseum.org or call 474-3848.

A current special exhibit focuses on Nell Donnelly.

An Irish-American, Donnelly started a company called Nelly Don in 1919. The business became a leader in the design and manufacture of dresses.

The company had many locations in the Kansas City area, including the old Western Auto building.

The exhibit runs through the end of this month.

Visitors can see many of Donnelly's creations, learn about her and the company, and watch a movie titled “A Stitch in Time.”

Admittance is $5 for adults and free for children under 12.

A tea at 1 p.m. Saturday will benefit the museum. The tea includes a fashion show and the film. Tickets are $10, or free for those wearing an original Nelly Don creation.

For more information, call 474-3848 or 531-5628.