Members of the Lumberjack Marching Band spent Spring Break touring Ireland, where they participated in the Dublin St. Patrick’s Day Parade.
After landing in Dublin, band members traveled cross-country to Galway, a harbor city on Ireland’s west coast, and visited the 18th-century Eyre Square, a popular meeting spot surrounded by brightly painted shops and traditional pubs featuring Irish folk music. Next, the students braved the rain and wind to visit the awe-inspiring Cliffs of Moher before traveling on to Limerick, home of medieval-era St. Mary’s Cathedral and King John's Castle.
Before returning to Dublin, the group visited the Rock of Cashel, a 13th-century Gothic cathedral, and Blarney Castle, where many of the members kissed the Blarney Stone, ensuring a lifetime of eloquence. In Dublin, the students visited St. Patrick's Cathedral and Trinity College, where they toured an exhibition of the Book of Kells, which contains the four Gospels of the New Testament, ornately illustrated in the ninth century.
In addition to the parade, band members performed at the Guinness Storehouse and enjoyed a celebratory dinner and Irish dance show at Taylors Three Rock. On the night before their departure, freshly fallen snow incited several friendly snowball fights among the musicians.