Pride of the Mountains to Ireland: Day 7
Pride of the Mountains
to
Ireland
The Pride of the Mountains Marching Band has been selected as one of two U.S bands
to represent the United States at the St. Patrick's Day Parade in Ireland! They will
also have the opportunity to visit many iconic sights during their trip. Follow along
on Pride of the Mountains social media channels!
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Hurry Up and Wait
On Sunday morning, you could feel the excitement in the hustle and bustle in the hotel
lobby as students prepared for the parade. Some students were half-dressed in their
uniforms and enjoying their last Irish breakfast while others did their hair and added
decorative makeup to their faces. By 9:30 a.m., everyone was grabbing their equipment,
to-go lunches for later, and heading to the buses.
When the buses arrived in the city, it was a quick unloading process. Students were
making sure they had everything they needed before the buses pulled away. As everyone
began making their way to the area designated for the Pride of the Mountains, it began
to sink in what they were about to do. In the next couple of hours, they would be
marching down the streets of Dublin, Ireland! The band anxiously awaited their turn
to join the parade route. In the meantime, they were able to greet other bands passing through on the way to
their spots, begin playing their instruments to get warmed up, and talk to other groups near them such as the Flute Band Association of Northern Ireland.
March On!
The band stepped off on their approximately 2-mile journey through the streets of Dublin, navigating several curves and turns along the way. You could hear "American Band" and the WCU fight song echoing between the buildings from further down the parade route. They brought the spirit to the end of the parade, being the last group in the lineup. Spectators clapped along and cheered as the band passed. Children put their hands out, hoping to receive a high five from one of the band members. It was wonderful to see hints of purple in the sea of green worn by family and friends who had joined the band on this trip. By the end of the 2 miles, everyone was exhausted and hungry. Students were sharing their feelings about the parade as they made the trek back to the bus, still in awe of what they had just done.
