The granite arches of the gateway to the ancient monastic settlement of Glendalough, unique in Ireland, would probably have originally had a timber roof and two stories, imagine how grand they would have seemed when entering them in medieval times.
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The monastic site, sits among the Wicklow Mountains National Park and was founded by St Kevin in the 6th Century.
In fact this settlement became a ‘monastic city’ The name Gleann Dá loch means valley of two lakes. Glendalough is also known as the city of the seven churches.
St Kevin was a descendant of one of the ruling families of Leinster (the Provence where Glendalough is located) and he studied as a boy in this location under the mentorship of 3 holy men and after allegedly having been blessed by an angel. Returning, as an adult with some monks, he founded the monastic site. He died here in 618, but the monastic site was to flourish afterwards for the next 6 centuries.
You may have heard about a replica Viking ship being built in Denmark in 2004. This was the second longest recorded Viking longship at around 30 meters length. It was a copy of an original built from felled oak from here, in Glendalough in 1042.
The remains of the monastic site comprise a number of ecclesiastical buildings, the most impressive of which is the 12th /13th Century St Peter & St Paul’s Cathedral which has a nave, chancel and sacristry
Records from 1176 indicate that the site was “plundered by foreigners” presumably Vikings, and again in 1398 the site was destroyed by English forces and left a ruin, though it still functioned as an important church and place of pilgrimage after this.
Among the ruins sited here is a 30 meter high round tower, something that must have been as impressive as the tallest of skyscrapers back in medieval times. This round tower is built from mica slate and granite. Its entrance is 3.5 meters from the base and the tower would originally have had 6 timber floors connected by ladders. These towers served four purposes, they were landmarks for approaching visiters, bell towers, store houses and as used as a refuge during attacks.
When we describe this site as a monastic city it’s essential not to understate its importance. As well as farm buildings and dwellings for the monks and the lay population, the site also included workshops for copying and writing manuscripts and even a medieval hospital. But this was a scholarly place that had importance throughout Europe.
There are several other ruined buildings of significance on the site , but we’re focusing here only on the 3 most complete.
St Kevin’s church or St Kevin’s kitchen, as it is known, is a 12th Century Barrel-vaulted oratory. It was known as St kevin’s Kitchen as the belfry, with its conical cap, was thought to resemble a kitchen chimney.
On leaving the monastic settlement we enter the beautiful walking trails of the Wicklow Mountains National Park. There are 9 trails in all, most of them around the two lakes of Glendalough. We briefly visit the upper lake today, but will take a closer look at the lower lake and some of the other monuments that are dotted around the area in another video.
You can see how the calmness and beauty of this site was inspirational for the holy men, scholars and pilgrims that made their way here.
St Kevin is said to have initially lived a hermit’s life for 7 years on his first visit to Glendalough. He slept in a cave, 4 ft wide and 3 ft high, now known as St kevin’s bed cut into the face of the mountain overlooking this lake. But this accommodation was an upgrade from the hollow of a tree that he lived in originally!
As we return to the monastic site we can see the round tower that has signaled the arrival at this important site to visitors for centuries.
Official Website:
www.glendalough.ie
Wikipedia Site:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glendal...
Негізгі бет Glendalough, one of Ireland's most important and most beautiful sites.
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