Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
The Lower Lake
While the Upper Lake has the best scenery, the most fascinating buildings lie east of the
Lower Lake.
Around the bend from the Glendalough Hotel is the stone arch of the monastery gatehouse ,
the only surviving example of a monastic entranceway in the country.
Beyond that lies a graveyard , which is still in use. The 10th-century round tower is 33m tall
and 16m in circumference at the base. The upper storeys and conical roof were recon-
structed in 1876. Near the tower, to the southeast, lies the Cathedral of St Peter and St Paul , with
a 10th-century nave. The chancel and sacristy both date from the 12th century.
At the centre of the graveyard, to the south of the round tower, is the Priest's House , dating
from 1170 but heavily reconstructed. During the 18th century it became a burial site for
local priests - hence the name. The 10th-century St Mary's Church , 140m southwest of the
round tower, probably stood outside the walls of the monastery and belonged to local
nuns. A little to the east are the scant remains of St Kieran's Church , the smallest at Glend-
alough.
Glendalough's trademark is St Kevin's Church - or Kitchen - at the southern edge of the
enclosure. With its miniature belfry, protruding sacristy and steep stone roof, it's a master-
piece. How it came to be known as a kitchen is a mystery as there's no indication that it
was ever anything other than a church. The oldest parts of the building date from the 11th
century - the structure has been remodelled since but it's still a classic early Irish church.
At the junction with Green Rd is the Deer Stone , in the middle of a group of rocks. Le-
gend claims that when St Kevin needed milk for two orphaned babies, a doe stood here
waiting to be milked. The stone is actually a bullaun , used as a grinding stone for medi-
cines or food.
The road east leads to St Saviour's Church , with its detailed Romanesque carvings. To the
west a nice woodland trail leads up the valley past the Lower Lake to the Upper Lake.
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