- See also Glendalough, Western Australia
Ancient church at Glendalough monastic site
Round tower at Glendalough
Glendalough (Irish: Gleann Dá Loch, meaning "Glen
of Two Lakes") is a village located at the site of a monastery located in County Wicklow, Ireland. It was founded in the 6th century by Saint Kevin, a hermit priest, and destroyed in 1398 by English
troops.
Saint Kevin's monastic site
The location was sought out as a peaceful retreat by Saint Kevin because of its remoteness and serenity, but several men who
wished to follow his teachings built a temporary place of churches and living quarters in the valley below the site of his house.
This soon grew and became an important school. The remains of the monastery are located beside the Lower Lake and the Upper
Lake.
ruined monastic church and round tower in background
The monastic site includes a 33 metres tall round tower and Saint Kevin's Cross, a
Celtic High Cross. The round tower was built during the era of the Viking invasions into Ireland (up to and around 1066), in order to protect the
religious books and chalices used around the monastery at the time.
Mining
At the west end of the Upper Lake lie the ruins of an abandoned miners' village that is, normally, accessible only by foot.
The mining of lead took place here from 1850 until about 1957 but the mines in the valley of Glendalough were smaller and
less important than those around the Glendasan Valley, that are separated by Camaderry Mountain. In 1859 the Glendasan and Glendalough mines were connected
with each other by a series of adits, now flooded, through the mountain. This made it easier to
transport ore to Glendalough and process it there.
Hill walking
There are many walking trails, of varying difficulty, to be made around Glendalough. Within the valley itself there are nine
colour-coded walking trails maintained by Wicklow Mountains National Park.[1] They all begin at an information office located near the Upper Lake where
maps are available to purchase.
The Wicklow Way, a long distance waymarked
walking trail, passes through Glendalough on its way from Rathfarnham in the north to its southerly point of Clonegal in
County Carlow.
Rock climbing
Bridging up the steep corner of
Sarcophagus (4 pitches, grade HVS/5a) at
Glendalough
Glendalough's granite cliffs, situated on the hillside above the north-western end of the
valley, have been a popular rock-climbing location since the first climbs were established
in 1948. The current guidebook, published in 1993, lists about 110 routes, at all
grades up to E5/6a, though several more climbs, mainly in the high grades, have been
recorded since then.[2]
The granite rock provides excellent friction, and the climbs typically follow crack lines, with good traditional
protection. The climbs vary between one and four pitches, and up to over 100m in length. There are several sectors:
- Twin Buttress, a large buttress divided in the middle by a seasonal waterfall, which contains the most popular climbs.
This area is approached via the zig-zag path at the head of the valley.
- The Upper Cliffs, a band of cliffs high up on the hillside east of Twin Buttress.
- Acorn Buttress, a small buttress just below Twin Buttress, which is a popular base-camp location.
- Hobnail Buttress, a small buttress with some easy climbing, on the hillside 1km to the east.
The quality of the climbing along with the variety of grades attracts climbers of all standards to Glendalough, and makes it a
favourite destination for Dublin climbers in particular. The Irish Mountaineering Club has operated a climbing hut in
the area since the 1950s.
Below the crag is an extensive boulder field. This is a popular location for bouldering activities [3], the boulders
within easy reach of the path being especially popular.
See also
External links
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References
Coordinates:
53°00′37″N, 6°19′39″W
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