Lakeville South Marching Band performs in Dublin for St. Patrick's Day

(KMSP) - More than 100 musicians from the Lakeville South High School Marching Band performed in Dublin's St. Patrick's Festival Parade on Saturday in what turned out to be a very special holiday for all involved.

The band is one of only nine selected from the United States to perform in front of more than 100,000 people at this year’s parade, and is the first marching band from Minnesota to ever participate.

“When we first realized that we were coming to Ireland—it was just a lifetime of an opportunity," Drum Major Cat Skindelien said via Skype. "We couldn't turn it down."

Roughly 140 students made the trek to perform at multiple stages of the five-day festival across Ireland, including stops in Limerick and Dublin.

The Irish, they said, were great hosts--despite a little taste of home in the form of cold temperatures and even a little snow during several of their performances.

“The Irish are so welcoming and friendly," Drum Major Danny David said. "It felt very much like Minnesota nice in Ireland.”

The high school musicians practiced for hundreds of hours to prepare for the big day, including sessions in all types of weather.

The group returns Thursday--leaving them plenty of sightseeing left to do.