NSU Demon Band to March in Dublin St. Patrick's Day Parade

The Spirit of Northwestern Demon Marching Band will participate in the 2015 St. Patrick's Day Parade in Dublin, Ireland.
I was a member of the NSU band from 1989-92, but we never got to take a trip like this! What an exciting time for these young people! They leave from Houston March 15 and come back home March 22.

NSU's marching band was invited to participate in the parade, a highlight of a four-day St. Pat's Festival in Dublin. We're hearing more than 500,000 people will be watching the parade live, and thousands more will be watching on TV.

Band members will get to do some sight-seeing while they're in Ireland. They get to tour Dublin, Trinity College, the National Museum of Ireland, Ards Peninsula, Mount Stewart House and Gardens, Giant's Causeway, the walled city of Derry, Galway, the lakes of Sligo, the summit of Knocknarea, Rathburn Farm and the Cliffs of Moher. Plus, they'll get to do some exploring of their own.

Much like my high school band trip to Canada, this trip is optional for band members. (I remember working many a banquet to build up my savings account for that excursion!) The cost is being paid for by individual members, and no band or university funding is provided.

If you would like to find out more, or maybe help out the band members, contact Director of Bands Jeff Mathews at 357-4450 or email mathewsj@nsula.edu.