Seeing Ireland Through a Teammate’s Eyes: Maryland Football’s Unforgettable Trip
Sean O’Haire gave Kellen McConnell, Keyari James and Philip Noyes a different look at Ireland, from his family’s home in County Kildare to St. Patrick’s Day in Galway.
Brady Ruth, Staff Writer
9/30/2026
They didn't have an itinerary. They barely had a plan.
When Kellen McConnell, Keyari James and Philip Noyes finally decided to take the Ireland trip they'd been talking about for months, they only had flights booked, a willingness to experience new opportunities and cultures, and a teammate who called the island country home.
Noyes had joked with County Kildare Sean O’Haire about coming to Ireland and crashing at his house, never knowing that the joke might actually become reality. A few weeks later, the three Maryland football players were on a plane, not fully knowing they were headed for a week of Irish countryside, Gaelic football, St. Patrick's Day celebrations and whatever else they could find.
I really loved how spontaneous it was. We ended up booking our tickets right around Valentine’s Day. When we went over there, all we had were our flights booked. I think my favorite part was the fact that we had a car and we were just going at it day by day. We got some great last-minute hotel deals and were just able to do whatever we wanted the days to be.Philip Noyes
With rental cars and impromptu reservations, they spent a few days exploring all the touristy spots around Dublin before meeting up with O’Haire and his family. The trip featured the perfect blend of the top hits and under-the-radar sights that Ireland has to offer.
“I think it was the perfect trip in that regard,” James said. “We got to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, which was the touristy part of the experience, along with the Guinness Storehouse and the other things you have to see. But we also sat down with his family, had the traditional food, and went to the football game, which made it feel like an authentic experience.”
They stayed with the O’Haire family in his home in County Kildare, a mostly rural inland part of the country separated from the bustle of Dublin. They got to live like locals, seeing the historic sights and the beautiful countryside.
“It was different from a normal vacation because we got the full Irish experience,” James said. “His family was super welcoming. They cooked us every traditional Irish meal you could think of. All his friends were wanting to show us the cool spots. I haven’t been able to share my culture with people like they did for me, so it was really special.”
For O’Haire, the week was about more than showing his teammates his home; it was an opportunity to strengthen the community within the team and carry that experience more than 3,400 miles back to College Park.
Playing football in America and experiencing new cultures himself, O’Haire said he loved the opportunity to share that experience with his teammates.
“We could tell he was excited,” McConnell said. “He’s pretty mellow and reserved, but his family is really eccentric. They balance each other out. But he was excited that we were there.”
One night, the four were able to attend a local Gaelic football game — the sport O’Haire grew up playing and the one that instantly captivated the travelers. The intimate county field couldn’t have been much different from the stadium lights of SECU Stadium, but the energy and passion of the national sport was unmatched.
“It’s a much more different kind of experience,” O’Haire said. “We arrived five minutes into the game, and there were already people shouting at each other and fighting. It was dark and raining, so I feel like they got the real Gaelic football experience.”
But the highlight of the trip had to be St. Patrick’s Day in Galway, a city on Ireland’s western coast. Away from the touristy bars of Dublin, the group found itself in the middle of Galway’s celebration, surrounded by green, music, and crowds spilling into the streets.
“Galway is really the best place to be for St. Patrick’s Day,” O’Haire said. “It’s a really cool city. We have a family home out there in the countryside, so we were able to go for a night, which was really fun.”
What James thought might be a holiday celebrated more by Americans than the Irish quickly became an unforgettable day-long party in one of Ireland’s most historic cities.
“It’s lively,” James said. “Everyone was wearing green and people were flooding the streets. The culture there is unreal.”
It was so sick. All the tourists go to Dublin and the tourist bars. We didn’t want to do that, because it would have just been like celebrating here. Being in Galway, where all the locals hung out, was awesome. Being able to tell people I was in Galway for St. Patrick’s Day really holds some value.Kellen McConnell
The players, especially McConnell, were blown away by the history and beauty at every stop along the way, soaking in every opportunity to learn more about Ireland and its people.
Sometimes, though, it was the simplest things that caught their attention.
“It was funny, they were impressed by everything,” O’Haire said. “They were even just obsessed with the sheep. I told them ‘they’re just sheep,’ but they were so excited to see them. I felt like they were impressed by almost anything.”
They left Ireland with more than pictures, stories and a few new favorite places. They left with a deeper understanding of O’Haire’s home, a collection of memories they never could have planned and a bond that stretched far beyond the football field.
“It was so cool to see Ireland,” McConnell said. “I’d been wanting to go forever and finally making it happen was really sick. I feel like a lot of athletes do not really get the experience to branch out. We can’t really go abroad much, so the opportunities we get to see new places are so special. Traveling that far to make memories with your guys holds a lot more weight. We’re all boys for life now.”
