Day 10: Back to Dublin

Contrary to some of our previous days in Killarney, today's morning was much more laid back due to our more casual itinerary we had planned. Because we were accustomed to an abrupt 7:30 wake up call each morning, it was refreshing getting the chance to get up and eat breakfast at whatever time we wanted so long as it was before 12:00. After a community breakfast we took a pleasant carriage ride through one of Ireland's national parks which happened to be one of two in Killarney, and one of six in Ireland. From the beautiful crystal blue water, to the elegant trees and indigenous animals, the scenery of this park was absolutely breathtaking. All of the tour guides that we've experienced so far have been very engaging and very funny, and today was no different. The tour guide combined with the soothing trot of the horse leading our carriage, ultimately lead to a very pleasant experience in the park.  Our final destination inside the park was Ross Castle, which was absolutely magnificent, as well as a significant part of Killarney's history. Though the exact date of it's construction is unknown, Ross Castle is estimated to have been built around the 15th century. And something this trip has proven to show time and time again is that the Irish very much value their history, which is an interesting conversation as someone coming from the United States, and considering the difference in age between Ireland's historic sights in proportion to that of our own. It was absolutely fascinating to see something from the 15th century still preserved by it's country and still available for the viewing of those that adore it.

When we finished our tour of the castle, we had established that we were all pretty hungry.  We then had a nice walk back into town through the park and chose to have dinner at a pizza place called Milano's. Once dinner had ended it was time to say goodbye to Killarney as we had concluded our stay there, and it was time to prepare for our departure back to Dublin. Unfortunately today was our final day of activities which means this will be the final blog of our trip. Overall the experience here has been incredible, through learning about history, experiencing culture, and even getting the chance to meet with a local politician, I think we'd all agree we couldn't have asked for a better trip. For a first time A-term that was almost entirely student lead, we exceeded all of our academic goals through participating in engaging seminars, successful site reports prior to the trip, and our soon to be completed artistic responses. We also had a ton of fun experiencing a foreign culture, seeing beautiful landscapes, and interacting with the locals. Overall I would deem this a successful A-term which I would like to see continued in future years to come.