Glendalough

Our last day in Ireland took us on the M11 from Wexford to Dublin with stops along the way in County Wicklow. Before going home, we wanted to revisit two places we’d last seen in 2005 on a family reunion trip to Ireland with our dad.

First stop, Avoca, where we literally pulled over on a curb to see the confluence of the Avonmore and Beg Rivers joining to form the Avoca River, better known as the Meeting of the Waters. I recall on our last visit the water was fierce and rushing, but on this day, the scene was idyllic—the rivers gently flowed together in shallow, clear pools over the river rocks, inviting enough to almost want to take off our shoes and dip in our feet. Of note is the monument erected in the small park above the rivers honoring the place where the Irish poet, Thomas Moore, wrote his famous poem “The Meeting of the Waters.”  

Next stop, Glendalough, a place as pretty as it sounds. Located in the Wicklow Mountains National Park, Glendalough literally translates to “the valley of the two lakes,” and is the place of an early Christian monastic settlement founded by St. Kevin in the 6th century. The park has an upper and lower lake as well as picnic sites, plentiful walking trails, rock climbing areas, and hiking trails that lead up to a waterfall.

For the viewing of ancient ruins, the monastic settlement is a great place to visit. It includes the remains of the cathedral of St. Peter and St. Paul, the largest building on the site. Striking is the still intact round tower which stands about 100 feet tall and was used to see approaching visitors as well as to take refuge in times of attack. There are the remnants of multiple churches on the site, including St. Kevin’s church and the priest’s house, a Romanesque building named so because it was the place priests were interred. All these ruins stand among an ancient grave yard with unmarked and marked graves dating from as far back as the 11th century. On a walk between the lower and upper lakes are an old stone fortress and three crosses, thought to be stations on the pilgrimage route at Glendalough.

Winding down our trip, we celebrated our final night in Ireland in Malahide, a coastal town not too far from Dublin, having dinner with our cousins in a scenic restaurant overlooking Malahide Bay—a lovely way to end our journey.

Ireland, 2022—we hated to say goodbye, but will take with us memories of a lifetime. As they say in Ireland, Slan go Foill!