The Glendalough monastic city is one of the most treasured Early Medieval sites in Ireland, and has attracted pilgrims for more than 1400 years. Today, it’s one of the most beloved sites in Ireland’s Ancient East region and a popular day trip from Dublin. Highlights of a trip to Glendalough include wandering through the magnificent Romanesque ruins of the monastic city and an amble through the enchanting Wicklow Mountains woodlands to reach the spectacular Upper Lake.
We visited in June, on a day trip from Dublin with Collins Tours, a family-run tour agency. The full day trip included visiting Glendalough and Kilkenny, and was one of the most memorable experiences of our time in Ireland. The Irish countryside is so beautiful, and the Glendalough Valley and Upper Lake was some of the most beautiful scenery of the trip (alongside Lake Zurich & the mountains in Crete!). Our tour guide, Hugh, is a former broadcaster and was an extremely knowledgeable guide. He shared so many insights into Irish history & culture, and I took away a lot more than if we’d driven to Glendalough on our own.
Explore More: 3 Days in Dublin: Céad Míle Fáilte to the Emerald Isle
Where is Glendalough?
Glendalough (pronounced Glenda-lock) is in the Glendalough Valley, in the southern end of Wicklow Mountains National Park. Beyond its archeological and historical value, Glendalough is a beautiful place to visit to experience the gorgeous Irish countryside, woodlands, mountains & its two stunning glacial lakes. County Wicklow is known as the “Garden of Ireland” and has lots of beautiful walks & hikes, many of which are inside the national park. Wicklow Mountains National Park is the largest of Ireland’s six national parks, and can be reached in as little as 35 minutes’ drive south from Dublin.
Glendalough’s Upper Lake & Lower Lake
The glacial Glendalough Valley looks like it’s straight from the pages of a fairytale, framed by the Wicklow Mountains of Camaderry and Conavalla. The Irish place name is Gleann dá Locha, which translates to Valley of the Two Lakes. Glendalough’s Lower Lake and famed Upper Lake are a short walk through the woodlands from Glendalough’s Monastic Settlement.
Both lakes can be reached via the scenic Greek Road. The Lower Lake is a 10-15 minute walk, and the Upper Lake is a 30 minute walk, but it is absolutely worth making it to the Upper Lake. We barely stopped at the Lower Lake, but could have brought a picnic and spent a day at the stunning Upper Lake.
History of Glendalough
Glendalough was founded by a monk, St Kevin, in the 6th century. Kevin was somewhat of a hermit and very much at home in nature. It’s no wonder that he found the perfect retreat from the world in the tranquil Glendalough Valley – or that he attracted a number of followers, who wanted to do the same! Had he wanted to be left truly in peace, he would have been better choosing a more forbidding destination, like the hermit monks who founded Skellig Michael.
Established in the 6th century by St Kevin, Glendalough flourished for 600 years as a centre of monastic learning. A small city grew around it, surviving numerous Viking raids, until it was ruined by the invading Normans (the English) between 1214-1398. Most of the buildings that survive today date back from the 10th-12th centuries, making it a precious collection of Romanesque architecture.
Glendalough was one of the primary pilgrimage destinations in medieval Ireland, and it continued to be for another 500 years after it was ruined by the Normans. Being buried in the hallowed ground at Glendalough was akin to being buried in Rome, and so it attracted kings, queens and senior clergymen as a burial site.
St Kevin’s Feast Day, on 3 June, was the most popular time to make the pilgrimage to Glendalough. It wasn’t until the late 18th century that the Catholic Church ended the St Kevin’s Day celebrations at Glendalough, because it was threatened by the perceived superstitious and secular elements of the celebrations.
Visiting Glendalough Monastic City
Today, it’s quite incredible how close you can get to history at Glendalough. For 600 years, Glendalough was a thriving city with farms, workshops and churches. It was a centre of learning, and produced manuscripts in both Latin and Irish. There are a number of ruins at Glendalough, including 7 churches. Some of the most impressive ruins left today are the Round Tower, the Cathedral of St Peter & St Paul, St Kevin’s Church, the Deer Stone and St Kevin’s Cross.
The Round Tower is remarkably intact, and stands 30m tall. The entry is 3.5m from the base of the tower, and is said that monks used to hide in the tower during Viking raids.
Ireland’s Celtic Cross is one of the most recognisable symbols of Celtic culture. The St Kevin’s Cross at Glendalough is 2.5 m tall & one of the best preserved early medieval examples of the cross. A Celtic cross is a Christian cross, or crucifix, encircled by a ring. Some say that the Celtic cross represents both Christianity and earlier pagan religions, which worshipped the sun, and that this Celtic Cross was a way to relate to pagans as they began to convert to Christianity.
The Cathedral of St Peter & St Paul is the largest and most impressive of the 7 church ruins at Glendalough. You can walk through the ruined cathedral, which was built between the 10th – 13th centuries.
Plan your visit to Glendalough
Glendalough is a 1 hour drive from Dublin. Entrance to Glendalough is free, but it’s 5 Euro to visit the Visitor’s Centre and parking is paid. There are bathrooms which are free to use, and a cafe. We visited as part of a day trip to Glendalough & Kilkenny with Collins Tours, which I highly recommend!
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