Inside the OSU Marching Band Ireland Tour: How Prime Tours Moves a Massive Group Through Ireland Without Missing a Beat
This was a massive undertaking. A large group of Ohio State fans, alumni, families, and Buckeye faithful made their way across Ireland for 9 days, following the OSU Marching Band from Dublin to Kilkenny, Belfast, Cork, Cobh, the Cliffs of Moher, and Athlone. Reserved grandstand seats at the Dublin St. Patrick's Day Parade. Multiple luxury hotels. Dozens of included experiences. Every meal, every coach, every admission was handled.
We are not a travel agency. Prime Tours is a group tour planner and operator based in Columbus, and coordinating a trip of this scale is exactly what we do. Here is a look at every stop and why this tour was something genuinely special.
The Moment Everyone Came For: The OSU Marching Band in Dublin
Let's be honest, this is why people signed up. Watching the OSU Marching Band perform at the Dublin St. Patrick's Day Parade is a bucket-list experience all on its own. But our travelers did not watch it from the curb or jostle for a peek between strangers. They had reserved, priority grandstand seats alongside Ohio State University staff and families, with a full, unobstructed view of the parade route.
The band also performed a static performance at Kilkenny Castle and marched in the Celbridge Parade, so travelers got to experience the OSU Marching Band multiple times across the island. If you have ever watched that band perform at Ohio Stadium and thought it can't get better than this, Ireland might change your mind. There is something about hearing those drums echo off centuries-old streets that hits differently.
Nine Days, One Incredible Country: Every Stop on the Tour
This was not a highlights reel from a tour bus window. Every attraction was included, every admission was handled, and a dedicated Prime Tours team was on the ground with the group every single day. Here is what travelers got to experience.
EPIC Museum, Dublin
The trip opened in Dublin with a visit to the EPIC Museum, voted Europe's Leading Tourist Attraction three years running (2019, 2020, and 2021). It is an interactive journey through the story of Irish emigration and the global Irish diaspora. For a group full of Ohio State fans, many of whom carry Irish heritage in their family tree, this one resonates on a personal level. It is not a dusty museum. It is immersive, emotional, and genuinely surprising.
Taylor's Three Rock -- Traditional Irish Night
On the first full evening, the group headed to Taylor's Three Rock, Ireland's most beloved traditional entertainment venue. Rousing Irish song, high-energy dance, and a proper dinner all in one room. It was the perfect way to dive headfirst into Irish culture and get the whole group together before the big parade days ahead. If the EPIC Museum told them about Ireland, Taylor's Three Rock showed them Ireland. The energy in that room set the tone for everything that followed.
Kilkenny Castle
Built in 1195 by Norman occupiers, Kilkenny Castle is one of Ireland's most striking medieval landmarks. The group explored the castle self-guided while the OSU Marching Band performed a static performance right there on the grounds, a moment completely unique to this tour. Afterward, travelers had free time in the medieval town of Kilkenny, known for its well-preserved churches, monasteries, and shops full of local pottery, paintings, and jewelry. A beautiful, unhurried afternoon in a town that feels like it has not changed in centuries.
Titanic Belfast Museum
Built on the very slipways where the RMS Titanic was constructed, the Titanic Belfast Museum consistently surprises even the most well-traveled visitors. The exhibits are world-class, the scale of the original shipyard is staggering, and the human stories woven throughout make it genuinely moving. The group also walked the Titanic slipways and took a city tour led by a certified Blue Badge Guide, someone who knows every layer of Belfast's complex, fascinating, and ultimately hopeful history. For anyone who thought they already knew the Titanic story, Belfast adds a dimension you cannot get anywhere else.
Blarney Castle
Built nearly six hundred years ago by the great Irish chieftain Cormac MacCarthy, Blarney Castle draws visitors from around the world for one legendary reason: the Blarney Stone. Climbing to the top of the tower and kissing the Stone of Eloquence is one of those travel moments that is equal parts silly and completely unforgettable, and everyone has a story about it afterward. After the castle, the Blarney Woolen Mill is one of the best places in all of Ireland to pick up quality gifts and keepsakes for the people back home.
Midleton Distillery Experience
Home of Jameson, Redbreast, and five other iconic Irish whiskey brands, the Midleton Distillery Experience goes far beyond a typical distillery tour. It is an immersive journey into the soul of Irish whiskey, the land, the craft, the people, and the history behind every bottle. Even travelers who do not drink whiskey come away with a genuine appreciation for what makes Irish whiskey its own thing. It is one of those stops that consistently catches people off guard as a highlight of the trip.
Cork English Market
Trading since 1788, the Cork English Market is one of the oldest covered markets in Europe and one of the most alive. Local and independent food producers, many of them multi-generational family operations, fill the stalls with artisan cheeses, fresh seafood, handmade pastries, and everything in between. It is a window into how Cork actually lives, not just how it performs for tourists. Wandering through it as a group is one of those unscripted travel moments that tends to stick with people longer than the castle visits.
Cobh and the Titanic Trail
Cobh (pronounced Cove) was the last port of call for the RMS Titanic before it sailed into history. The group arrived to watch the OSU Marching Band perform a short parade through town followed by a static performance, another one-of-a-kind moment woven into this tour. Afterward, everyone walked the Titanic Trail, a guided walking tour through Cobh's deep harbor history and its ties to one of the most famous voyages ever made. The views of Cork Harbour from Cobh are stunning, and the town itself has a charm that is hard to shake.
Cliffs of Moher
No photo, no matter how good, prepares you for standing at the Cliffs of Moher. Rising up to 700 feet above the Atlantic along Ireland's wild western coast, the cliffs are jaw-dropping in a way that is almost hard to describe. The wind off the ocean, the waves far below, the sheer open scale of it. It is one of those rare travel experiences where everyone goes quiet for a moment. Experiencing that as a large group, sharing that collective wonder, is the kind of memory that does not fade.
Caherconnell Sheepdog Demonstration
Right after the Cliffs, the group visited the Caherconnell. The sheepdog demonstration is a crowd favorite every time, working collies showcasing extraordinary skill against the backdrop of a thousand-year-old fort and wide-open Burren views. The early spring is lambing season and the opportunity to hold the wee wooly creatures was a delight for all... that is except the mamas who vocalized their annoyance with having their babies scooped up. It is a completely different Ireland from the cities and the castles, and travelers who expected it to be a minor stop consistently say it was one of the best moments of the trip.
Sean's Bar, Athlone -- The Oldest Bar in Europe
The trip ended the right way. After a banquet dinner at the Sheraton Athlone, the group walked over to Sean's Bar, the Guinness World Record holder for oldest bar in Europe, with origins dating back to 900 AD. Live Irish music, cold pints, and a room full of people who had just spent nine days exploring one of the most beautiful countries on earth together. It is the perfect last chapter. A place that has been welcoming travelers for over a thousand years has a way of making you feel like the trip was exactly as long as it needed to be.
How Prime Tours Makes a Trip This Big Feel This Easy
Moving a large group of people across multiple cities in a foreign country, coordinating hotels, coaches, meals, admissions, and events across 9 days, is a serious logistical undertaking. And for the travelers on this tour, none of that was their problem.
Prime Tours had dedicated tour directors and consultants traveling with the group from start to finish. Every hotel arrival was coordinated. Every meal was reserved and ready. Every admission was pre-arranged so the group walked in without waiting in lines or scrambling for tickets. Luxury motorcoach transportation moved everyone comfortably through Ireland each day, and the coaches were locked or supervised during every stop so travelers could leave items on board and explore without a worry.
Three beautiful properties anchored the trip: the 4-star Ashling Hotel in Dublin, the Dean Hotel in Cork, and the 4-star Sheraton in Athlone. Full Irish breakfasts every morning. Group dinners that included a traditional Irish night at Taylor's Three Rock, a banquet dinner in Cork with VIP guests, and a BBQ dinner before the walk to Sean's Bar. When Prime Tours plans a trip, every detail is thought through before a single traveler sets foot on a plane.
That is the difference between booking travel and having someone plan and operate it for you.
29 Years of Getting It Right
Prime Tours has been planning and operating group tours from Columbus since 1996. Thousands of travelers. Destinations across Ohio, the U.S., and internationally. Every itinerary built to give our groups access, comfort, and experiences they simply could not put together on their own.
There are no middlemen here. No hand-offs to third parties. When you travel with Prime Tours, our team is with you from the first planning detail to the last farewell at the airport. We work directly with hotels, transportation providers, venues, and local guides, and we have the relationships and the experience to make a large, complex trip feel effortless for every single person on it.
The OSU Marching Band Ireland Tour sold out. That is what happens when a trip this well-planned meets an audience this passionate about what they are going to experience.
FAQs
Commonly asked questions about Tours or Travelling with Prime Tours
It is the official authorized companion tour of The OSU Marching Band, planned and operated by Prime Tours from Columbus, Ohio. Travelers receive reserved grandstand seats at the Dublin St. Patrick's Day Parade and explore Ireland over 9 days including Kilkenny, Belfast, Cork, Cobh, the Cliffs of Moher, and Athlone.
Prime Tours assigns dedicated tour directors and consultants who travel with the group the entire trip, coordinating luxury motorcoach transportation, hotel check-ins, meal reservations, and all admissions. Travelers never have to manage the logistics themselves.
Included attractions are the EPIC Museum Dublin, Kilkenny Castle, Titanic Belfast Museum, a Blue Badge guided tour of Belfast, Blarney Castle, the Midleton Whiskey Experience, Cork English Market, the Titanic Trail Walking Tour in Cobh, the Cliffs of Moher, Caherconnell Stonefort, a sheepdog demonstration in the Burren, and Sean's Bar in Athlone, the oldest bar in Europe.
Airfare is not included in the base tour price. Prime Tours offers optional group air from both Columbus and Cleveland. Group air booked through Prime Tours is fully refundable until closer to departure, unlike standard non-refundable airline tickets.
Yes. The tour is rated moderate in activity level (3 out of 5), blending active sightseeing days with more relaxed days. It is a great fit for active adults, seniors, and couples who want a fully managed, stress-free international group travel experience.
Prime Tours regularly plans and operates large group tours both domestically and internationally. Travelers interested in future Ohio State tours, Ireland tours, or similar group experiences can browse all current tours at goprimetours.com/current-tours.
Ready to Travel with a Tour Operator That Gets It Right?
The OSU Marching Band Ireland Tour sold out, and it is easy to see why. When Prime Tours plans a trip, travelers show up, enjoy every moment, and let us handle the rest. Nearly three decades of doing exactly that has a way of getting around.
Whether you are an Ohio State fan, an active adult ready for your next adventure, or a couple who wants to see the world without the stress of planning it, we have tours built for you.
Browse all current Prime Tours group trips at goprimetours.com/current-tours and find the trip that is calling your name.