Glendalough, Ireland - The Monastic City

In the Wicklow mountains, we found Glendalough (pronounced glen-da-lock). It is actually a valley carved out during the glacial period and contains two lakes. It also contains one of the most important monastic sites in Ireland. It was founded by St. Kevin in the sixth century.


There are several monastic remains there but the largest is a round tower that is about 90 feet tall. The cathedral is one of the largest known early Christian churches in Ireland. It ceased to be a cathedral in 1210. The earliest stone walls are thought to date back to the 10th century.

As we walked across the bridge over the babbling brook, we noticed that the water had a brown hue. We had noticed that at Powerscourt Waterfall as well. Then it struck us that the water was flowing through peat bogs and that was what was giving the water the strange color.

The Monastic City was an interesting stop and a chance to stretch our legs but as a chill wind made me shiver and a misty haze clouded the valley, it reminded me more of a scene for a good vampire picture or maybe just a Halloween card.

With plenty of time to spare before our scheduled arrival in Kilkenny, we made one more stop. Jerpoint Abbey.