‘An unforgettable experience’: Three K-Staters share their memories from Ireland trip
By Ashley Pauls
K-State Alumni Association
11,000 — the number of K-Staters who recently traveled to Dublin, Ireland, to watch
the 'Cats in the Aer Lingus College Football Classic — is an impressive statistic.
It's roughly the same capacity as K-State's Bramlage Coliseum, and larger than the
populations of many towns scattered across the state of Kansas.
However, this number is more than just an interesting fact to share; it also represents
11,000 uniquely personal stories from the K-Staters who decided to make the trip:
the sites they saw, the connections they made, and the memories they’ll carry forever.
We asked three Wildcats to share some of their highlights from this once-in-a-lifetime
experience: K-State Marching Band drum major Colby Johnston; K-State grad and former cheerleader Shawn Fisher ’06; and Alan Fankhauser ’82, the K-State Alumni Association’s recently retired associate director of alumni programs.
Colby Johnston
The entire trip was jam-packed with purple and plenty of band. Even when we were delayed
and had separate flights taking portions of the band over, we still made the most
of it with some fun "singing pep bands" in the airports to raise everyone's spirits.
Once the entire band was in Ireland, we were shown to our rooms on Trinity College
Dublin's campus. It was a gorgeous campus with incredible historic architecture and
great amenities. After getting things moved in, we hit the ground running with numerous
pep bands.
There was no lack of band and playing, but I definitely had some personal favorites.
We played in front of the Mansion House for the Lord Mayor of Dublin, President Linton
and numerous other dignitaries along with a sizable crowd of K-Staters and Irish.
The sidewalk quickly got packed, which was a theme wherever the band went. Another
highlight was the pep band in the Guinness factory. This was a big, annular building
with a large opening in the center where you could look down to the ground floor.
We circled the band around the banister on the second floor and played down while
welcoming many K-Staters into the factory. Following this main group, the band split
into two pub-crawl sized portions and went around running into tasting rooms, bars
and other parts of the factory to play before running to the next spot.
And if I had to pick one favorite, it would be the double-decker bus pep bands. We
maneuvered a large chunk of the band onto the roofs of two separate buses and proceeded
to drive throughout Dublin playing stand tunes and drum cheers. Many Dubliners were
caught quite off guard, but they seemed to enjoy it. Along the tour, many people opened
their windows to watch as we went by. I loved how much the band got into the whole
ride and it was an electric atmosphere. At every stop and every pep band, there were
always people expressing how glad they were that we made it, and how excited they
were to hear an American marching band as natives, or to have a piece of home as K-Staters.
In the last rehearsal for the game, we went to University College Dublin's fields
and during the rehearsal there were several Dubliners who stopped by to watch and
listen to the unique sight of two American marching bands performing together. The
game's excitement continued as we marched into the stadium. Only at this point did
it finally hit me that we were in Ireland and showcasing a sliver of American culture
on the international stage. There were numerous K-State and Iowa State fans, but almost
just as many native Irish who came out to support, cheer and experience college football.
Overall, the whole trip had no lack of emotional ups and downs, but the entire "Ireland
Band" section of the Marching Band still made the most of all aspects of the trip.
As surreal as it all still feels, I'll be telling my kids and grandkids about the
experience and memories from this trip long after my time in the band is over. It
was a blessing even with the challenges; it brought us all closer together and gave
us lots of "type-2 fun" we can look back on and laugh over. We all eventually made
it there, got to enjoy Dublin even if just for a few short days, and all eventually
made it back.
There were plenty of hiccups and adjustments along the way for flight delays/cancellations,
altered schedules and other non-ideal circumstances, but we did what the band does
best: we rolled with the punches and didn't let our situation define who we are. This
program produces resiliency, integrity, unwavering faith and determination unlike
anything else. This trip is a testament to the incredible folks I get to perform alongside
and all the former members who established the legacy of this program.
Shawn Fisher ’06
Traveling to Ireland for the K-State game was an unforgettable experience and one
that was extra meaningful for me because I was able to share it with my sister. We
both live abroad from one another — me in New York City and her in Qatar — so we use
K-State events like this as opportunities to meet in the middle.
The trip started off with a fun surprise when I met some fellow K-Staters on the plane
to Dublin. Little did we know, we’d keep running into each other throughout the day
— at the Guinness Storehouse, at dinner and beyond. It was such a great reminder of
how strong and connected the K-State family truly is, even overseas.
Another highlight was taking a Cliffs of Moher tour, where our guide quickly became
a Wildcat fan for the day. He kept playing the K-State Fight Song during our 13-hour
trip — much to the dismay of the Iowa State fans riding along!
But the most special moment came at the pub crawl with the K-State band. As a former
cheerleader (and someone just 4’10 3/4”), fans pushed me forward to see better. I
couldn’t resist joining in the Fight Song choreography, and to my surprise, the cheer
captain pulled me in to finish with the squad. We embraced afterward and it was such
a magical full-circle moment!
Experiences like this remind me just how special it is to be part of the K-State family,
no matter where in the world we are.
Alan Fankhauser ’82
Many friends and alumni that I know started planning their trips almost immediately
after the announcement was made; my excursion was a little different as I traveled
with work colleagues and had the privilege of working various events for alumni and
K-State fans. It also meant that it would be my final trip as a member of the Alumni
Association staff as I planned to retire right after the trip. What a spectacular
way to wrap up my time at the Association.
From the moment I boarded the plane in Manhattan to the airport in Dublin, there were
K-Staters everywhere. (Not that I was surprised as I knew we would turn out in great
fashion, we always do!) Highlights of the trip included seeing everyone at the pep
rally, the transformation of the Aviva Stadium into the “Irish Bill,” seeing alumni
and friends at one of the pregame gatherings held at The Pub, the tour of the Guiness
factory, and the Epic Museum which tells the Irish immigration story.
We'll disregard the game's outcome for now and I’ll just remember the great times
had with my fellow purple people!
More Ireland highlights
The K-State Alumni Association was honored to play a role in welcoming K-Staters to
Ireland during the Aer Lingus College Football Classic, from passing out member-exclusive
swag, to celebrating at the pep rally, and hosting pub takeovers.
“Playing the first college football game of the season in Ireland with more than 11,000
K-Staters in attendance brought about immense international exposure for Kansas State
University, the K-State Alumni Association and our great alumni and fans,” said Adam
Walker ’04, ’09, K-State Alumni Association president and CEO. “The Association was
proud to play such a prominent role in enhancing the overall experience for all K-Staters.”
Be sure to check out our additional coverage of the Ireland game: