The Glen of the Two Lakes....
My home county back
in Ireland is County Wicklow and is known as the Garden of Ireland. It has
so many hidden beautiful and secluded places, some well known but many waiting
to be discovered.
One of the most
scenic valleys is Glendalough – The Glen of the Two Lakes. It can be found about 25 miles south of Dublin on the East Coast. It was what is known to the Irish as a ‘tourist trap’ and a place to be avoided
on account of the numerous ‘visitors’
and their very large coaches. It is on the itinerary of most Irish Tour
companies. However, usually in the earlier part of the
morning they have not yet arrived and the true peaceful aura that is felt can
be overpowering.
It is an ancient site
with many of the buildings dating to the 10th and 12th
centuries. When wandering around the
beautiful scene, the feelings that they evoke can literally take your breath
away.
One of the most
striking is the Round Tower. These towers can be found all over Ireland
and were used by the monks to protect their religious artefacts when attacked
by looters. The Danes, the Vikings and
the Normans all raided this and other religious sites.
Saint
Kevin
was the founder of the monastery and lived a hermit-like existence at the site
with his group of monks. He died about
618 which gives an indication of the age of the monastery.
It flourished as a monastery
for over 600 years and when I at last visited it on a trip ‘home’ in around
1988, I honestly felt the history in the surroundings. It is very beautiful and when not too crowded
the serenity is deeply touching.
I could continue to
extol its beauty but my writing could not truly convey my feelings on the
surroundings. I shall let some of the
following photographs paint a truer picture.
There is a Wikipedia
entry which goes into much deeper history on this link:
----------Mike--------
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