Side Trips from Dublin - Dublin - page 158

Off R752, Rathdrum, County Wicklow. & 0404/46111. Admission € 5 ($6) adults,
€ 4.50 ($5.40) seniors and children under 12, € 15 ($18) families. Mid-Mar to Oct

31 daily 11am-6pm. Parking € 5 ($6).

Glendalough This is Wicklow's top sight. In the 6th cen-
tury, St. Kevin chose this idyllically secluded setting—whose name
derived from the Irish phrase Gleann Da Locha, meaning “The Glen
of the Two Lakes”—for a monastery. Over the centuries, it became a
leading center of learning, with thousands of students from Ireland,
Britain, and all over Europe, including St. Lawrence O'Toole, who
visited in the 12th century. But like so many early Irish religious sites,
Glendalough fell into the hands of plundering Anglo-Norman
invaders, and its glories came to an end by the 15th century.
Today, visitors can stroll from the upper lake to the lower lake and
walk through the remains of the monastery complex, long since con-
verted to a burial place. Although much of the monastic city is in ruins,
the remains do include a nearly perfect round tower, 31m (103 ft.)
high and 16m (52 ft.) around the base, as well as hundreds of time-
worn Celtic crosses and a variety of churches. One of these is St.
Kevin's chapel, often called St. Kevin's Kitchen, a fine specimen of an
early Irish barrel-vaulted oratory with a miniature round belfry rising
from a stone roof. A striking visitor center at the entrance to the site
provides helpful orientation, with exhibits on the archaeology, history,
folklore, and wildlife of the area. Unfortunately, the main entrance to
the monastic complex has been spoiled by a sprawling hotel and hawk-
ers of various sorts, so you may want to cross the river at the visitor cen-
ter and walk along the banks. You can cross back again at the monastic
site, bypassing the trappings of commerce that St. Kevin once fled.
County Wicklow (11km/7 miles east of Wicklow on T7 via Rathdrum). & 0404/
45325 or 0404/45352. Admission free; exhibits and audiovisual presentation
€ 2.75 ($3.30) adults, € 2 ($2.40) seniors, € 1.25 ($1.50) students and children

under 12, 7 ($8.45) families. Mid-Oct to mid-Mar daily 9:30am-5pm; mid-Mar to

mid-Oct daily 9am-6pm.

€

Getting to Glendalough
If you plan on driving a car from Dublin to Glendalough, con-
sider taking R155. The trip may take a little longer, and the
signage may not be the best, but the spectacular vistas and
awe-inspiring scenery are well worth seeing. If you don't have
a car, Gray Line offers a bus tour from Dublin to Glendalough.
For information, contact Gray Line Desk, Dublin Tourism Cen-
tre, Suffolk Street, Dublin 2 ( & 01/605-7705; [e-mail]).

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