Glendalough and Avondale

On Wednesday, having done the north yesterday, we went west on about a half-hour drive to Glendalough. This is a medieval monastery founded in the sixth century by St. Kevin, who was a disciple of St. Patrick. Kevin founder a monastic order which was dedicated to solitude and prayer; a number of other monastery founders got their start here. The stone buildings were erected in the tenth through the twelfth centuries. In addition to the stone church and cathedral and the graveyard, the property includes two beautiful lakes in a wooded setting just a short walk away.



















We had lunch at the Wicklow Heather in Larach and then visited a woolen mill outlet, where we successfully avoided any purchases.

After that we drove south of Rathdrum to the Avondale House and Forest, which is a country home where Charles Stewart Parnell was born and raised. The house was built in 1779 and currently has a tour through the mostly restored interior. The outside is rather plain and unremarkable. This property was the first site for the attempted reforestation of Ireland and is considered to be the home of the Ireland Forestry efforts. The grounds contain a number of very attractive trails to walk. After returning to our hotel, we went to dinner for an Italian meal at Bates in Rathdrum.