When studying abroad in Ireland, I was able to go see many different sites and buildings that all came from different periods of the country’s history. Each site symbolized a different group of people and was representative of a different historical aspect. One of my favorite places we got to visit was Blarney Castle. The grounds belonging to the current heirs are much more expansive and encompass a lot more than I thought before visiting. I assumed it was the castle with the Stone and a little land, but the grounds consist of the heirs current summer home (pictured below), stables, the castle ruins, several gardens, a lake, and much more. Seeing the castle was the best part of our time because it was so different than the other castles we saw. Most of the castles we got to see were well-maintained and clean, but Blarney was not. It, surprisingly, was mildly treacherous and unfurnished. It was interesting to see the castle in its purest form because how we saw it is how it would look regardless if hundreds of people visited every day. The family’s summer home was decorated with many original furnishing and paintings with modern touches (e.g. their family ski trip photos on desks besides 300 year old paintings). It was a fascinating juxtaposition of two time periods. It was a warming and enduring places we saw.