2008 was a huge year for travel for QIAPB.  At the end of the Lorient Festival in France our pipe band flew over to Ireland and spent a couple of days in Wexford with the New Ross Pipe Band, who had also performed at the Lorient Festival. We played with their pipe band in front of the city hall and then again in a private room inside the hall. We have a long connection with the New Ross Pipe Band in Ireland and hold them in high regard.

Our pipe band then headed to Tralee to attend the Rose of Tralee Festival, an international event celebrated amongst Irish communities all over the world. Each year during May a Rose Ball is held here in Brisbane and our Queensland Rose, who will be sent to Tralee for the festival, is selected that night.

The festival went for five days, starting on the Friday, and the Rose Ball was held that night. Our pipe band was invited to play outside of the Rose Dome as the guests were arriving for the ball.

On the Saturday night the main Rose Parade heads through the town with massive crowds lining the streets to see and support the Rose entrants and to enjoy the various bands, dancers, performers and floats that are part of this parade. Our pipe band was invited to participate in this parade and the reception from the crowd was amazing. We also played in another smaller street parade as well as a couple of performances around town.