Irish chef gunned down outside his US restaurant spoke about his granny igniting cooking passion

The Irish chef tragically killed outside his US restauran t frequently talked about his affection for Ireland and the way his grandmother kindled his culinary passion.

Father-of-two Shaun Brady was fatally shot while foiling a juvenile gang's car theft attempt at his Brady & Fox restaurant.

The incident occurred as he stepped out to dispose of trash on Wednesday, when an altercation with youths led to the tragedy, as per Kansas City police reports. A 15-year-old has been charged with second-degree murder, armed criminal actions, and attempted motor vehicle theft.

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Their identity, along with that of another minor apprehended after the incident, remains undisclosed due to their age. Legal procedures are underway to determine if the 15-year-old will stand trial as an adult.

As of yesterday, a fundraising effort to support Shaun's wife Kate, native to Missouri, and their children Seamus and Mary surpassed $100,000 by midday. Shaun played a vital role in the Kansas City Irish Fest which is scheduled for this weekend.

His annually organized traditional Irish breakfast event won't take place; instead, a Sunday Mass will be held in his memory. Organizers of the Irish Fest commented: "As a chef, Shaun Brady nourished his community not just with incredible food, but with a deep pride in his culture."

Shaun, 44, reminisced about his childhood in Nenagh, Co Tipperary, during his chat on the Taysht podcast with Mike Farragher in 2022. The lad with culinary dreams shared: "My two sisters would always say I was the weirdo in the family. Every kid wants to be a firefighter or police officer."

"I was going around saying I wanted to be a chef. There was no talking me out of it."

Starting young at the age of twelve, Shaun skipped school to work in a local pub kitchen, peeling spuds and veg, all without his mum Mary's knowledge. He gave kudos to his gran for spurring on his passion for cooking.

He fondly recalled: "That [scone] recipe is at this stage probably 120 years old, that came from my grandmother, it was handed down to her. I remember making those with her, plastic bowl, mixing everything by hand."

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Mentioning his switch back to tradition, he added, "When I started making scones I threw them into the Kitchen Aid mixer, it never felt right to me. I went back to scratch and started making them by hand. There were times when I was making 2,000 scones, your hands cramp up."

"But to me, it's worth it. You smell them and your heart lights up because that reminds me of my grandmother. It's the only recipe I will not change. You can have scones with raisins or not at all. It's the one time the customer is not right."

The opening of Friday's Irish Fest was a poignant event, as friends and locals mourned the death of a much-loved community figure. Holding back tears, Shaun's good mate Sarah Walsh shared her deep sorrow: "Some day there will be a little bit of light, and someday it'll eventually be OK."

She went on to say, "We all try to lift each other up emotionally just in the last 24 to 48 hours since it all happened."

Shaun's friend from Ireland, Anthony Canning, who became acquainted with him 11 years ago whilst at the Ambassador Hotel, spoke fondly of him: "He was very proud of his scones and Irish soda bread."

Reflecting on the tragedy, he added, "It's hard to put it in context because he was trying to do the right thing and he was trying to stop something. He was at the wrong place, with the wrong people, at the wrong time."

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