Glendalough
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- See also Glendalough, Western Australia
Glendalough (Gleann Dá Locha in Irish, meaning "the glen of two lakes") is a village located at the site of an ancient monastery located in County Wicklow, Ireland. It was founded in the 6th century by St. Kevin, a hermit priest, and destroyed in 1398 by English troops.
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[edit] St. Kevin's Monastic Site
The location was sought out as a peaceful retreat by St. Kevin because of its remoteness and serenity, but several disciples who wished to follow his teachings built a temporary hamlet of churches, chapels and living quarters in the valley below the site of his hovel. This soon grew and eventually, at the height of its popularity, was one of the main religious universities in Ireland.
The remains of the monastery are located beside the two lakes (Lower Lake and Upper Lake). The monastic site and it's visitor centre are managed by the Office of Public Works and the lakes form part of Wicklow Mountains National Park. The monastic site and lakes are one of the most popular tourist sites in Ireland.
The monastic site includes a 33 metres tall round tower and St. Kevin's Cross, a Celtic High cross. The round tower was built during the era of the viking invasions in Ireland (up to and around AD1066), in order to protect the religious relics, books and chalices used around the monastery at the time.
[edit] Mining
At the west end of the Upper Lake lie the ruins of an abandoned miners' village that is, normally, accessible only by foot. Mining, primarily for lead, took place here from 1850 until about 1875 but the mines in the valley of Glendalough were smaller and less important than those in 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. The mines are now under the management of Wicklow Mountains National Park.
An exhibition, The Mining Heritage of Wicklow, was displayed at the County Buildings, Wicklow Town, in September 2003, in association with Mining Heritage Trust of Ireland and Wicklow County Council Heritage Office. The exhibition explored the mining heritage of Wicklow and two panels [1] and [2] were devoted to mining in Glendalough.
[edit] Rock Climbing and Hill Walking
Glendalough's granite cliffs, above the north-western end of the Upper Lake, are a popular rock-climbing location. The boulders below the cliffs are excellent for bouldering. The Irish Mountaineering Club maintains a climbing hut in the area.
There are many good local walks, 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. They all begin at the Information Office at the Upper Lake where maps are available to purchase.
The Wicklow Way, a long distance way-marked walking trail, passes through Glendalough on its way from Rathfarnham in the north to its southerly point of Clonegal in County Carlow.
