9 Days in Ireland with the OSU Marching Band: A Day-by-Day Look at the Trip of a Lifetime

There are group trips, and then there are trips like this one.

As part of the Prime Tours team, I have had the privilege of planning and operating tours across the country and around the world. But the OSU Marching Band Family and Friends Ireland Tour holds a special place for all of us. This is not just a great trip to Ireland. It is the official authorized companion tour of The Ohio State University Marching Band, built in partnership with the university and designed to put our travelers alongside the band at one of the most celebrated events in the world.

That partnership matters. It is what gives our travelers reserved grandstand seats at the Dublin St. Patrick's Day Parade, positioned right alongside Ohio State University staff and band families. It is what makes the performances at Kilkenny Castle and Cobh part of the itinerary. And it is what turns a beautiful trip to Ireland into something that simply cannot be replicated anywhere else.

We were fortunate to have the services of photographer Olivia Bowdoin with us on this trip. Olivia is a professional photographer who was invited to document the band's performances and the people around them throughout Ireland. Her perspective on what she witnessed added something to the way we understood our own tour, and you will find her observations woven through the days where she captured something worth sharing.

Here is what those 9 days look like, from the moment you board your flight to the last night of Irish music at the oldest bar in Europe.

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Day 1, Saturday March 14: Wheels Up

The adventure starts before you ever land. Travelers departing from Columbus or Cleveland board their overnight flights on Saturday evening, and somewhere over the Atlantic the excitement of what is ahead starts to settle in. Sleep if you can. Ireland will be ready for you in the morning.

For those who booked group air through Prime Tours, the benefit kicks in from the start. Unlike standard non-refundable airline tickets, group air booked through us is fully refundable until close to departure, and we offered departure options from both Columbus and Cleveland so you could choose what worked best for you.

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Day 2, Sunday March 15: Welcome to Dublin

You land in Dublin and your tour director is there to meet you. That is the first moment you feel the difference between traveling on your own and traveling with Prime Tours. There is no scrambling for taxis, no confusion about where to go. You are welcomed, oriented, and on your way.

The first stop is a panoramic city tour of Dublin, followed by a visit to the EPIC Museum, voted Europe's Leading Tourist Attraction three years running. The EPIC Museum tells the story of the Irish diaspora, how millions of Irish men and women spread across the world and shaped the cultures of countries from America to Australia. For many travelers on this tour, some of that story is their own family's story. It hits in a way that surprises people.

That evening, you check into the 4-star Ashling Hotel in Dublin, your home for the next four nights, and sit down to a welcome dinner at the hotel. The group is together for the first time, the city is buzzing, and St. Patrick's Day is two days away. The energy in the room is something you can feel.

Day 3, Monday March 16: Medieval Kilkenny and a Traditional Irish Night

After a full Irish breakfast at the hotel, the group boards the luxury motorcoach and heads south to Kilkenny, one of Ireland's best-preserved medieval towns. Kilkenny Castle, built in 1195 by Norman occupiers, is the centerpiece of the visit. The group explores the castle self-guided, taking in centuries of Irish history at their own pace.

Then something happens that you will not find on any standard Ireland tour. The OSU Marching Band performs a static performance right there at Kilkenny Castle. In a medieval Irish courtyard, with stone walls centuries old on all sides, the band plays. It is the kind of moment that takes your breath away.

Olivia Bowdoin had anticipated the thrill of Dublin on St. Patrick's Day when she came on this trip, but she was not prepared for what the band's performances actually evoked. Standing in that courtyard, she described the feeling of watching masters of a craft perform at the height of their ability. Framed by Ireland's harsh and mysterious natural beauty, the performance felt like a culmination of years of dedication, musicians moving in sync and striving for perfection as one unit. You can watch her short video of the band performing in front of Kilkenny Castle here.

The partnership with Ohio State University makes experiences like this possible, and they are woven throughout the entire trip.

After the castle, there is free time to wander Kilkenny's charming streets, browse the local shops, and soak in a town that feels like it has not changed in centuries. That evening, the group heads to Taylor's Three Rock, Ireland's most beloved traditional entertainment venue, for a rousing night of Irish song, dance, and a proper dinner. It is the perfect way to fall headfirst into Irish culture.

Day 4, Tuesday March 17: St. Patrick's Day in Dublin

This is the day. St. Patrick's Day in Dublin, with the OSU Marching Band.

The group departs the hotel and takes up reserved grandstand seats at 11:00 AM, positioned right alongside The Ohio State University staff and band families. These are not general public spots. This is priority seating secured through our official partnership with the parade committee, and it means you have a full, unobstructed view of the parade route from start to finish.

When the OSU Marching Band comes through, the sound is unlike anything you have heard outside of Ohio Stadium. The streets of Dublin, lined with hundreds of thousands of spectators, are electric. And you are watching it from the best seat in the house, surrounded by fellow Buckeyes who are every bit as emotional about it as you are.

In the days leading up to the parade, Olivia spent time with the band's families, hearing about the strenuous process of annual auditions and daily rehearsals that each member goes through, often involving miles of constant marching while playing. Knowing that, and then watching it all pay off on the streets of Dublin, gave her footage and photos that carry a weight beyond spectacle. For many of the band members she photographed, this was one of the final times they would perform before graduating and moving on. That sense of arrival, after years of discipline, brought tears of joy, pride, and sadness in the same breath. For more of her photography from St. Patrick's Day in Ireland, see her collaboration with Ori Magazine here.

After the parade, the group enjoys a box lunch and then heads to the Celbridge Parade, where the OSU Marching Band performs again. Two parades. One day. By the time you sit down to dinner back at the hotel that evening, you will have lived one of the most memorable days of your life.

Day 5, Wednesday March 18: Belfast and Northern Ireland

After breakfast, the motorcoach heads north to Belfast, the capital of Northern Ireland and the birthplace of the RMS Titanic. A certified Blue Badge Guide leads the group on a city tour that brings Belfast's layered, complex, and ultimately hopeful history to life in a way that a guidebook simply cannot.

The main event is the Titanic Belfast Museum, built on the very slipways where the ship was constructed. It is world-class in every sense, and it consistently surprises even well-traveled visitors. The exhibits are immersive, the scale of the original shipyard is humbling, and the human stories throughout make it deeply moving. The group also walks the Titanic slipways, standing on the ground where history was made.

On the return to Dublin, travelers have the option to be dropped in Dublin City Centre for a free evening to explore Temple Bar and the city on their own, or to stay on the coach and return to the hotel. Not every moment needs to be scheduled. Sometimes the best travel memories come from an unplanned evening in a great city.

Day 6, Thursday March 19: Blarney Castle and Cork City

Checkout morning in Dublin, and the motorcoach heads southwest toward Cork. The first stop is Blarney Castle, built nearly six hundred years ago by the Irish chieftain Cormac MacCarthy. Climbing to the top of the tower to kiss the Blarney Stone is one of those experiences that is equal parts bucket-list and laugh-out-loud, and everyone comes back down with a story. Addional time is provided to wander the spectacular expansive grounds that are in full spring blossom. The Blarney Woolen Mill afterward is one of the finest places in Ireland to pick up gifts and keepsakes and grab a bite to eat at the largest cafe in Ireland.

That evening, the group checks into the Dean Hotel in Cork for a two-night stay, with dinner included at the hotel. Cork is a wonderful city, and having two nights here gives everyone time to actually settle in and enjoy it.

Day 7, Friday March 20: Whiskey, Cobh, and a Banquet Evening

The morning starts at the Midleton Distillery Experience, home of Jameson, Redbreast, and five other iconic Irish whiskey brands. It is an immersive journey into the craft and culture of Irish whiskey that goes far deeper than a standard distillery tour. Even travelers who rarely drink whiskey come away fascinated. And those who do enjoy the golden liquid leave with rare vintage releases not sold outside of Ireland.

From Cork, the group travels to Cobh, pronounced "cove," the last port of call for the RMS Titanic before it sailed into history. The OSU Marching Band performs a short parade through town followed by a static performance. Afterward, everyone walks the Titanic Trail, a guided walking tour through Cobh's deep harbor history. The views of Cork Harbour are stunning.

That evening is something truly special. A farewell banquet dinner with the entire band and staff and all their family and friends, with VIP guests including the Mayor of Cork, joining the group for an Irish celebration that feels like a fitting tribute to the week everyone has shared. Live music from a local Irish band and a special gift presentation of a bodrhan (an Irish drum) to Dr. Hoch, Director of the The Ohio State University Marching Band, is a warm highlight of the evening.

Day 8, Saturday March 21: The Cliffs of Moher, the Burren, and Athlone

Checkout from Cork, and the motorcoach heads west toward one of the most iconic landscapes on earth. The Cliffs of Moher rise up to 700 feet above the Atlantic along Ireland's wild western coastline, and no photograph does them justice. Standing on that edge with the wind off the ocean and the waves far below is a genuine awe moment. Traveling with a group and sharing that experience collectively makes it even more powerful.

From the Cliffs, the group visits Caherconnell Stonefort, a remarkably well-preserved Iron Age fort set against the dramatic limestone landscape of the Burren. The sheepdog demonstration that follows is a crowd favorite every single time, working collies showcasing extraordinary skill in front of a thousand-year-old backdrop. It is a completely different Ireland from the cities and the castles, and it is one of those stops that people consistently bring up when they talk about the trip afterward, especially for those that chose to hold one of the darling new spring lambs.

The final hotel of the trip is the 4-star Sheraton in Athlone, where the group enjoys a BBQ dinner before taking a short walk to Sean's Bar. Sean's Bar holds the Guinness World Record as the oldest bar in Europe, with origins dating back to 900 AD. Live Irish music, cold pints, and a room full of people who have spent eight extraordinary days in Ireland together. There is no better way to spend the last night of a trip like this.

Day 9, Sunday March 22: Farewell Ireland

An early breakfast, checkout from the Sheraton, and the motorcoach heads to Dublin for the flight home. There is always a certain quiet on the last morning of a trip this good. People are tired in the best possible way, full of memories and already talking about what they wish they had more time to see.

That is how we know a trip worked.
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What the Ohio State University Partnership Actually Means for You

I want to take a moment to talk about what the official authorized partnership with The Ohio State University really means for the people on this tour, because it goes beyond a logo on a brochure.

It means the experiences woven throughout this itinerary are exclusive to this tour. The reserved grandstand seats at the Dublin parade, positioned alongside university staff and band families, are not available to the general public. The static performance at Kilkenny Castle, the parade through Cobh, the multiple opportunities to experience the OSU Marching Band perform across Ireland, those moments exist because of the relationship Prime Tours has built with Ohio State University.

At Prime Tours, we are not a travel agency passing you off to someone else. We are the ones who planned this trip, built the partnership, and will be on the ground with you every single day. Lisa Busch and I travel with the group. We are reachable. We are there. When something comes up, which it occasionally does on any trip, we handle it before most travelers even notice.

That is what 29 years of doing this looks like in practice.

The Trip Is Over. The Next One Is Waiting.

If you were on this tour, you already know. There is a particular kind of tired that comes at the end of nine days in Ireland, the kind where you are exhausted and full and already wondering when you get to do something like this again. We love that feeling, because it means we did our job right.

And if you were not on this tour, well, now you know what you missed. The good news is that Prime Tours has a full calendar of group experiences planned and ready, and there is something for everyone.

For seniors and active adults who want to travel without the stress of planning every detail, our Boomer and Senior Tours are built around your pace and your interests. Whether that is a leisurely cruise, a scenic domestic trip, or an international adventure, we handle everything so you can focus on the experience. Couples and singles who want to travel with like-minded people and skip the logistics headache fit right in on nearly every tour we operate.

For Ohio State fans, our Ohio State Tours go beyond football season. We build experiences around the university, its traditions, and the community that surrounds it, bringing Buckeyes together in ways that feel personal and memorable.

Music lovers and pop culture fans have found a home in our Celebrity and Band Tours, where the experience is built around the artists and performances you love most. These tours attract active adults and couples who want travel that feels curated around something they are genuinely passionate about.

We also offer Leisure Tours and Cruises for travelers who want the full experience with a more relaxed pace, and through Prime Tours EDU we work with student and educational groups who want meaningful, immersive travel built around learning.

Whatever kind of traveler you are, the Prime Tours approach is the same. We plan it, we operate it, and we are with you every step of the way. No middlemen. No hand-offs. Just a Columbus-based team with nearly 30 years of experience making group travel feel effortless.

Browse all current tours at goprimetours.com/current-tours and find the one that is right for you.

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