Home > Counties > Co. Wicklow > Glendalough

Glendalough, Co. Wicklow

Glendalough (Gleann Dá Locha in Irish, meaning "the glen of two lakes") is a village located at the site of a monastery located high in the mountains of County Wicklow. It was founded in the 6th century by St. Kevin, a hermit priest, and destroyed in 1398 by English troops.

Glendalough has earned its reputation as the most popular place for visitors in the Wicklow Mountains National Park. ‘The valley of the two lakes’ is famous for its wild beauty, its
rich spiritual history and its many archaeological sites. It’s an area steeped in history and atmosphere, with wonderful mountain walks, woodland trails and lakeside rambles. Dotted around the valley’s twin lakes are a profusion of archaeological sites of interest including a stone caher, a
number of early Christian monastic churches, a round tower and a medieval cathedral.

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.

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.

Gardens

National Garden Exhibition Centre

Delgany, Co. Wicklow

To describe the National Garden Exhibition Centre as inspirational would be an understatement. The brainchild of nurseryman Tim Wallace, his wife Suzanne and garden designer Gordon Ledbetter, the idea was to show the best in garden design for a v ...

View all Read on

Golf

Blainroe Golf Club

Wicklow, Co. Wicklow
Course Type: Parkland

Blainroe Golf Club is a par 72 parkland course that measures 6,800 yards from the tips, just south of Wicklow Town it is blessed by it’s location on the Irish Sea along a stretch of coastline renowned for having some of the best beaches in ...

View all Read on

Self Catering

Avon Ri Blessington Resort

Blessington, Co. Wicklow

For centuries, the hill where Avon Rí is now located looked out over a valley created by the Liffey and King's River. Avon Rí has taken its name from the latter and now looks out of the Blessington Lakes – a reservoir created ...

View all Read on

What's On

BrookLodge Farmers Market - County Wicklow

Brooklodge Farmers Market

BrookLodge Hotel, Macreddin village, County Wicklow

Organic food markets, held on the first Sunday of the month, noon-5pm (April - October).

M ...

View all Read on

Tourist Attractions

Imaginosity - Dublins Children Museum

Dublin 18, Dublin City

Children learn best when they're having fun and with this ethos in mind Imaginosity champions the 'hands-on, minds-on' philosophy that encourages all visitors to get involved and have fun while learning and create positive and lasting memories. ...

View all Read on

Wedding Venues

Rathsallagh House

Dunlavin, Co. Kildare

The O’Flynn family’s renowned 1798 country house is beautifully-located in 250 acres of lush parkland and gardens, on the western edge of the Wicklow Hills, only an hour’s drive south of Dublin. There are numerous old country ch ...

View all Read on