Wicklow Mountains National Park

Welcome to the Wicklow Mountains National Park, a vast expanse of granite peaks, blanket bogs, and glacial valleys that represents Ireland's largest continuous upland region. As your guide and companion through this scholarly…

As we approach the monastic city of Glendalough, or Glen-da-lock, we find ourselves standing before the Gateway, the last remaining ecclesiastical gateway in all of Ireland. This structure serves as a monumental threshold,…

Standing prominently within the monastic city is the Round Tower, a masterpiece of early medieval engineering reaching a height of approximately thirty meters. Constructed primarily of mica slate with granite accents, this…

Directly adjacent to the round tower lie the remains of the St. Peter and Paul Cathedral, the largest and most significant ecclesiastical structure in the Glendalough valley. …

Positioned near the cathedral is the iconic St. Kevin's Cross, a monolith of granite that stands as a silent witness to the valley's spiritual heritage. …

Often referred to colloquially as 'St. Kevin’s Kitchen,' this remarkably well-preserved twelfth-century stone-roofed church is perhaps the most photogenic building in Glendalough. …

As we move further into the valley, past the ribbon-like expanse of the Lower Lake, we reach the dramatic shores of the Upper Lake. This is where the true wilderness of the Wicklow Mountains becomes apparent, with steep,…

A short but invigorating climb from the Upper Lake leads us to the Poulanass Waterfall, a spectacular natural feature where the waters of the mountain streams cascade over rugged granite steps. The name 'Poulanass' is derived…

As our exploration of the Wicklow Mountains National Park draws to a close, I hope you carry with you more than just photographs of ruins and lakes. We have journeyed through a landscape that is a complex palimpsest of geology,…