07/05/2026
Today on a tour with my students in Glendalough I found myself thinking not only about the beauty and energy of this place, but about the layers of history held within the landscape itself.
Founded by Saint Kevin in the 6th century, the valley became a place of prayer, learning and reflection for centuries. The famous round tower, built around the 11th century, still stands almost 30 metres tall over 1,000 years later. It was used as a bell tower, to call monks to prayer, a storehouse and a place of refuge during attacks, with its doorway built high above the ground. Near the top are four windows facing north, south, east and west watching over the entire valley.
We walked the labyrinth, a symbolic walking path used for reflection and meditation. Unlike a maze, there are no wrong turns; just one continuous path leading inward and back out again, representing journey, balance and self-discovery.
Walking around these ancient structures today really made me think. Back then, things were built to last. Stone churches, towers and sacred spaces created with care and intention that are still standing a millennium later. We speak so much now about “sustainability”, yet so much modern construction feels temporary.. quickly built, quickly replaced. It does make me wonder what we are really leaving behind for future generations. The upper and lower lakes are ribbon lakes, carved out by glaciers during the last Ice Age over 10,000 years ago, as they slowly scoured through the valley, shaping the U-shaped landscape we still see today. There’s something powerful about standing in a place shaped over thousands of years by both nature and human devotion.
Places like Glendalough remind us to slow down, reconnect, and build with more meaning.
