Hundreds from York County woke up on St. Patrick’s Day in Ireland. Some, ready to play
It’s Friday in York County, but for more than 100 Fort Mill students it’s a national holiday. Not their nation, but one they aren’t likely to forget soon.
Fort Mill High School is one of 14 marching bands set to perform in the St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Dublin, Ireland. Friday’s event is part of the larger St. Patrick’s Festival running Thursday to Sunday. The parade runs from Parnell Square North down past grandstands on O’Connell Street, across River Liffey and circling toward its end on Kevin Street, west of St. Stephen’s Green.
The largest St. Patrick’s Day parade in the world expects to draw more than half a million people. Plus television viewers across Europe. Ireland’s national television network will stream the event.
Despite the distance, the event has several Carolinas connections. The Charlotte Catholic High School band will perform. So will the band from Furman University.
The noon local time parade starts earlier for York County, at 8 a.m. here due to the time difference. The Fort Mill band will be adjusted to the time, having arrived a week ago. Band photographer Josh Herbert is documenting the trip, and sent back images. Here’s a look at what they’ve seen so far:
The Fort Mill band held a concert in town March 7 before leaving the following day for Ireland. The trip includes 130 students and more than 270 total members.
The first day students toured Rock of Cashel, sometimes called St. Patrick’s Rock, in County Tipperary along with Blarney Castle home to the Blarney Stone. Students visited in shifts as several sites throughout the trip aren’t large enough for the full group to tour at once.
Next, students explored Kensale in County Cork including Charles Fort that dates back to the 1600s, and Denmare.
The third day involved a drive around the Ring of Kerry.
The band returns Saturday. Other visited sites include Mizen Head, Bantry, Killarney National Park, St. Patrick’s Cathedral and others.
