Glendalough and Dublin. • Walking the Cumbrian Mountains

Name of walk	Glendalough and Dublin.
Date of walk	2015-08-27

The steep wooded slopes of Glendalough in County Wicklow, harbours one of Ireland’s most atmospheric monastic sites. Established by St. Kevin in the 5th century it grew to be quite powerful by the 9th century, but started falling into ruin by 1398 onwards. It functioned as a monastic centre until the Dissolution of the Monasteries in 1539, but pilgrims still kept on coming, epecially on St. Kevin’s Feast Day, June 3rd.There are many walking opportunities up and around the two lakes and lots of wildlife to see too.

View down the valley towards Glendalough.

After booking into our hotel and having lunch we set off to tour the monastery. View over to the 100ft, 10th century Round Tower.

St. Kevin's Kitchen. This church is unusual in that it has a round tower sticking out of the roof which looks like a chimney, hence the nickname.

Looking over to St. Mary's Church.

The Round Tower and the Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul.

The Priests' House, a burial place for clergy.

Brendan outside the Priests' House.

The Cathedral was built between the 10th and 13th centuries.

The Round Tower's roof was replaced in 1876 after a lightning strike.

Archaeologists at work in a field.

After touring the monastery we head off up the valley to the Upper Lake via The Boardwalk. (2km)

The walk was teeming with dragonflies and lizards.

There were deer in the valley.

Fallow deer.

The Upper Lake.

Me on the shores of the Upper Lake.

Reefert Church, an 11th century Romanesque Church where the powerful O'Toole family buried their kin.

We then head off to walk to St. Kevin's Cell, which was just a few stones, and the Poulanass Waterfall.

We walk back along the other side of the Lower Lake, the Green Road Walk. There are many walking trails in the valley. We had done just two of them.

Glendalough is an excellent place to visit. If we had more time I would have liked to do the Miner's Road walk which takes you to the far end of the Upper Lake and a ruined miners' village. From there you can then follow the route up the mountain beside the stream. Maybe next time!

I did not expect to find a naked Arnold Schwarzenegger in our hotel! Get your skin on man!

The next day we set off for Dublin over the Sally Gap through the Wicklow Mountains. A rather spectacular waterfall just outside Glendalough.

View back down the valley from the top of the waterfall.

The drive through the Wicklow Mountains.

View down to Dublin and the sea.

We had booked to stay overnight in an apartment in Trinity College. A cheaper alternative to hotels, with parking and walking distance to Dublin's many attractions.

A couple of photos of the college. We did consider viewing the Book of Kells, until we saw the queues!

We had lunch here before we walked around Dublin. We visited the Natural History Museum.

I love Oscar Wilde. Gyles Brandreth has written a series of historical fiction books where Wilde plays murder detective, interweaving fact and fiction, with real events and characters like Bram Stoker and Arthur Conan Doyle. They are surprisingly rather brilliant! I have read all six, and would highly recommend them to all who enjoy a good, but quirky, 'Whodunnit'.

St. Patrick's Cathedral. We also walk around Christ Church Cathedral, and visited the Pro Cathedral in the evening, but it was shut.

The Liffey.

An Edward the Vll Post Box.

Sunset on the Campanile of Trinity College. The ferry back to Holyhead is at 8am in the morning. We are then detouring to Birkenhead to visit my sister, Ness, and take her to lunch.