KC Irish community raises funds for slain chef’s family. Here’s how to donate

As the Kansas City Irish community continues to mourn the death of chef, restaurateur and community figure Shaun Brady, the Kansas City Irish Fest has established a memorial fund in Brady’s honor.

Brady was fatally shot around 5:18 p.m. Wednesday in the back parking lot of Brady & Fox, the popular Irish restaurant he co-owned with Graham Farris. While taking out the trash behind his restaurant, Brady became involved in a fatal confrontation with multiple juveniles around a vehicle, according to Kansas City police.

Irish Fest organizers described Brady’s restaurant as “the favorite gathering place of Kansas City’s Irish community.”

“As a chef, Shaun Brady nourished his community not just with incredible food, but with a deep pride in his culture and a contagious enthusiasm for celebration,” organizers wrote on the fundraising page.

“The light he brought to our Irish community will endure through those touched by his talent, spirit, and joy for life.”

Two teenage boys were arrested in connection with Brady’s death on Wednesday night. One was charged Thursday with second-degree murder, as well as felony attempted vehicle theft and armed criminal action, in Jackson County family court.

Brady was heavily involved in Irish Fest, bringing live cooking demonstrations to the festival stage. The festival’s Facebook post said that Brady was a large part of the Irish Fest family, and that his business was a place where many in the community gathered.

Brady was also the head chef and creator of Irish Breakfast, a ticketed feast following Catholic mass the Sunday of every Irish Fest weekend, according to festival organizers. This year’s Irish Breakfast was canceled after news of Brady’s death broke.

“It was one of Shaun’s greatest gifts to bring people together with his culinary creations,” festival organizers wrote on Facebook.

Proceeds from the Shaun Brady Memorial Fund will go to support Brady’s wife Kate and his two young children. Kate, a Wichita native, met Brady while she was traveling in Ireland.

Nearly 250 people donated to The Shaun Brady Memorial Fund in the fundraiser’s first day, raising just over $16,400 by Thursday evening. Organizers are encouraging donations of $45, matching the price of an Irish Breakfast ticket.

Brady grew up in Tipperary County, Ireland, and studied at the Dublin Institute of Technology while falling in love with his work in the city’s restaurant scene. After graduating as an executive chef, Brady traveled Europe and Asia before building a life with Kate in Chicago, and later Kansas City.

Brady was previously the executive chef at the Ambassador Hotel in downtown Kansas City before opening Brady’s Public House with Farris. After Brady’s Public House closed during the COVID-19 pandemic, Brady and Farris opened Brady & Fox in 2022.