The name of this magnificent monastic site originates from the Irish “Gleann da locha,” meaning “the valley of the two lakes.” Indeed, this rings true as Glendalough is found 46 km south of Dublin in County Wicklow, where the River Glenealo feeds into the River Glendasan, just downstream from what are know as the Upper and Lower lakes. Just before this junction is the main group of ruins referred to as the Monastic City. Glendalough was founded as a hermitage by St. Kevin in the latter part of the 6th century A.D. While his royal lineage is generally accepted, most tales of Kevin’s life are confused by myth and embellishment. But by the time of Kevin’s death in 618, a monastery was firmly established that would function through the 15th century and serve as a place of pilgrimage through present day.
Glendalough has been historically plagued by recurring misfortune.
The ruins that stand today have withstood multiple fires, plunders, and
destruction by foreigners and local Irish alike over the centuries of occupation,
and exist as perhaps the best preserved of all monastic sites in Ireland
(Barrow 1992:21-22). Little is known of Glendalough
during the 16th and 17th centuries, but growing interest in Ireland’s national
monuments led to the 1779 journey of the Huguenot artist Gabriel Beranger
and Italian painter-architect Angelo Maria Bigari, which yielded great
sketches of this monastic site (Barrow 1992:25).
A mandate by the Royal Historical and Archaeological Association of Ireland
calling for reports on all monuments brought about the next phase in Glendalough’s
rediscovery and subsequent stages of reconstruction in the 1870s.
Work at Glendalough began in 1875, shortly after Sir Thomas Deane became
the superintendent of the Commissioners of Public Works, and continued
to the beginnings of the 20th century. However, inadequate records
severely hinder description of the analytical research and reconstruction
techniques undertaken at Glendalough.
The remaining ruins are mostly those of stone churches, yet these are what hold much of Glendalough’s story. The few remains of Temple na Skellig (Church of the Rock) sit on a steep ledge 6m above the south shore of the Upper Lake, which is the probable location of Kevin’s original church. However, it was probably rebuilt in the 11th century. This decaying church was reconstructed in the 1870s, as the eastern gable was rebuilt with a double, round-headed window, while the doorway still exists in a fallen form (Rodgers and Losack 1996:109). Its present foundations measure 7.6m by 4.2m, with walls nearly a meter thick. West of this building is a walled enclosure with a paved path along which wattle-and-daub huts for Glendalough’s first monks probably once stood (Galloway 1992:115).
Still along the south shore of the Upper Lake, but further east, lies St. Kevin’s Bed. This small, man-made cave of little more than 2 square meters, which Kevin probably used as a place of personal refuge, is more easily approached by boat than by foot. However, it may have originally been structured as a rock tomb during the Bronze Age (Rodger and Losack 1996:112).
St. Kevin’s Cell, the supposed living quarters of Glendalough’s founder, stands overlooking the Upper Lake from the southeast. This is a roughly circular stone hut, with a maximum width of 3.4m. Just east of Kevin’s abode, stand the remains of Rhefeart Church, which was built of granite around 1100. (See Images). Surrounding it is a unique graveyard which is home to many Early Christian gravestones (Galloway 1992:115). While the doorway is of the old flat-headed style, the windows are round-headed, reflecting the transition to Romanesque styles during this time period. The nave and chancel are connected by a simple rounded archway. The projecting corbels would have held wooden rafters for the roof.
Off the eastern shore of the Upper Lake is what remains of an old circular stone fort known as the Caher. (See Images). The walls are built 3m thick in dry masonry, while the outer diameter passes 20m. It is similar to stone forts in the west such as Staigue Fort, County Kerry, indicating that it may have origins as far back as the Bronze Age (Ronan 17). Not far from the Caher are a number of crosses, which make up the area between the Upper and Lower Lakes that have the highest concentration of the many upright inscribed stone slabs and crosses at Glendalough.
St. Saviour’s Priory is a 12th century church found east of the Monastic
City, along the Glendasan River. (See
Images). This structure includes an ornate Romanesque archway
from the nave to the chancel. The original roof may well have been
stone due to the extremely thick walls (1.2m). The priory is surrounded
by a dry-stone and earth wall, adding to its already secluded atmosphere
(Galloway 1992:118).
The Priest’s House is a small, rectangular building that may well have
been used for something other than a monastic residence during the 12th
century. Other than the lower walls, it is mostly a reconstruction
of the 1870s, based on a sketch from when it was yet intact in 1779 (Galloway
1992:117). Near the Priest’s House and Cathedral stands St. Kevin’s
Church (See Images). It consists
of a two-storey building with a barrel-vaulted lower chamber, and has a
chimney-like round turret exiting the roof. A similar structure is
found at St. Columba’s Oratory in Kells, County Meath. The chancel
of St. Kevin’s has collapsed since the 18th century, but leaves distinct
evidence of its presence in the form of its foundations (O’Reilly
1997:26-27).
It is important to note that there are sometimes various spellings, pronunciations, and even different names for these structures. Those used above are the ones that seem to appear most frequently. The remains described above are not all there is to see at Glendalough, but are certainly some of the most significant. When considering the period of occupation at Glendalough from the time of St. Kevin through the 15th century, one should infer the likelihood of such less permanent structures as stone kitchens and refectories, a dairy, mills, bakery, scriptorium, workshops for carpenters and metalworkers, and additional wooden huts (O’Reilly 1997:24).
Final thoughts should be given to the history of Glendalough and the
implications it had on the monastic life there. In 1111, clergy and
laity met at Rathbraesail, County Tipperary, and divided Ireland into 22
districts. Glendalough became one of the five bishoprics of Leinster
and held Dublin within its boundaries. However, in 1213, roles reversed
and Glendalough became annexed to Dublin, which had come under Anglo-Norman
control. Thus, there were subsequent difficulties between these religious
centers. English forces of Richard II came in 1398, and nearly ended
the monastery at Glendalough. But inhabitants remained until 1497
when it was finally taken over by the Dublin diocese (O’Reilly
1997:24-25). But well before then, Glendalough had been a place
not without conflict. Indeed, rebuilding and additional challenges
past the initial hardships of monastic life became the norm for the faithful
at Glendalough. While many have followed Kevin by visiting this valley
near two lakes, it still remains a place of mystery and reflection.
Barrow, Lennox. Glendalough and St. Kevin. Dundalk: Dundalgan Press Limited, 1992.
DeBreffny, Brian and George Matt. The Churches and Abbeys of Ireland. London: Thames and Hudson, Ltd., 1976.
Galloway, Peter. The Cathedrals of Ireland. Belfast: The Queen’s University of Belfast, 1992.
Manning, Conleth. Early Irish Monasteries. Dublin: Country House, 1995.
O’Reilly, Sean D. Irish Churches and Monasteries: An Historical and Architectural Guide. Cork: The Collins Press, 1997.
Pochin-Mould, Daphne D.C. The Monasteries of Ireland. London: B.T. Batsford Limited, 1976.
Rodgers, Michael and Marcus Losack. Glendalough: A Celtic Pilgrimage. Blackrock: The Columba Press, 1996.
Ronan, Myles V. Guide to Glendalough:
Its Story, Ruins, and Legends. 3rd ed. Dublin: The Richview
Press.
Guide to Your Glendalough Visit