Glendalough

Glendalough, the valley of two lakes, lies among the Wicklow Mountains. Saint Kevin's foundation grew into a great monastic settlement, its churches and round tower standing beneath wooded slopes. It became an important centre of learning and pilgrimage, and for a time a bishop's seat. Its diocese was united with Dublin in the early thirteenth century, diminishing its independent standing.

In 1398 English forces burned the settlement. Though its former prominence had faded, Glendalough remained a place of devotion: pilgrims continued to visit the churches and sites associated with Saint Kevin. An account of a pilgrimage day in 1779 describes a gathering in the valley, showing how religious attachment to the old monastery survived long after the buildings had ceased to house the community that made them famous.