Escape Dublin for a truly memorable
day tour
“If you’re looking for the
epitome of rugged and romantic Ireland, you won’t do much better than
Glendalough,” says Lonely Planet.
Crown jewel of Wicklow Mountains
National Park
Glendalough (the name means glen
or valley of two lakes) located in County Wicklow is naturally and spiritually
spectacular. This majestic location was created during the Ice Age thousands of
years ago. Enjoy mountain streams and alluvial deposits, which conspire to
create the Upper and Lower lakes so beloved of walkers today.
Glendalough an ancient monastic
settlement
St Kevin’s monastic settlement
was a veritable city in its time, with a 30m round tower, a gateway building,
several churches, a cathedral, farm, houses and a sizeable lay population all
contributing to one of Ireland’s great ecclesiastical centres.
Viking raids
Glendalough was plundered by
Vikings, ravaged by fire, and no doubt rocked by the same raw weather dropped
onto the Wicklow Mountains today, before ultimately falling to the Normans in
1398.
Lights camera action
What really makes Glendalough
sing to your soul is its location at the heart of Wicklow Mountains National
Park. For years, Wicklow has been Hollywood’s movie location of choice in
Ireland, with Powerscourt house and gardens, Kilruddery House and the mountains themselves
forming the backdrop for productions including Braveheart, The Count
of Monte Cristo and P.S. I Love You, starring Hillary Swank and
Gerard Butler.
“There is not in the wide world a
valley so sweet,” as Irish poet Thomas Moore once wrote of the area.
