Gleann Dá Loch ...

Gleann Dá Loch, is an Irish name that means “The valley of Two Lakes" but is almost an onomatopoeia that suggests something ancestral like a druids ritual …

Gleann

Dá

Loch

It's an enchanted place, one of my favourite places in Ireland, so far…

that combines a magic natural beauty and amazing monastic ruins.

And as always, monks chose an amazing place to live and pray, but this place is simply awesome …

In my opinion It’s the true essence of the Irish Soul.

When you start thinking about green Ireland....you are thinking without any doubt about Glendalough, in Wicklow!!!

In this case the monk who chose the location was a hermitic priest called St. Kevin who founded the monastery in the VI Century.

Glendalough became one of the most important Irish Monastic Foundations, despite the continuous attacks: Vikings, Anglo-Normans …

The defence and the attacks prevention was essential and the Monastery was walled and had a very high tower, about 30 metre high, that was used mainly as landmarks for approaching ...

but at the end it was destroyed by the Anglo-Normans in 1214.

But not only the Vikings and the Brits attacked the monastery, also the Celtic Irish did, and a lot of times …

for the same reason: money and power and maybe some … good food.

But now the Irish only remember how cruel the Vikings were …

The day I visited Glendalough was a full Irish experience...

not only for the 4 Pints that I had at the end of day but mainly for the RAIN!

It was raining cats and dogs, up to a point that I didn’t know if we were walking or we were swimming.

But despite at the rain

the experience was M A G I C …

it was as magic as wet!