21 October
We collected our hire car this morning and left Dublin,
heading for Thomastown. On the way we stopped at Glendalough in the Wicklow
Mountains. There are the remains of a monastic settlement set up by St Kevin,
who obviously knew a beautiful place when he saw it.
After lunch at the hotel next door (the apple pie was
delicious) we entered the main site through an impressive gate house. It contains
a 33m tall round tower, the ruins of several small churches, St Kevin’s cross
and plenty of gravestones, all surrounded by wooded hills.
Gary explored the site further and then retired to a sunny
spot to read while Dale walked around the Lower Lake and followed the northern
shore of the Upper Lake to its end. A tranquil and gorgeous spot!
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| The round tower |
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| Gary in one of the churches |
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| Mountain backdrop to the gravestones |
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| St Kevin's church |
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| The board walk around the Lower Lake |
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| Deer friend |
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| The Upper Lake |
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| More Upper Lake |
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| End of the Upper Lake |
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| Stone fort |
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| My first attempt at a selfie, after lessons from Kate. |
Are you sure St Kevin was a real monk? They have to be on rockey islands and windswept headlands. Paul.
ReplyDeleteAre you sure St Kevin was a real monk? They have to be on rockey islands and windswept headlands. Paul.
ReplyDeleteYes, a real monk. He lived in a small cave above the river, ate hardly anything, prayed a lot and communed with the animals apparently!
ReplyDeleteGood job with the selfie!!! 😁
ReplyDelete