The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1906-11-17
Glendaloueh. the Beautiful.

lQSf the 3DONe nedu N1llIdlll
Carroll writes in the Rosary Magazine
of that beautiful spot in the County
Wicklow. region of romance and
mystery, with its little lake of gloomy
solitude. inspirer of poetry and
dreams. After riding some fifty miles
in a southeasterly direction through
the Wicklow mountains over loose,
yellow sand, through a precipice and
mountain pass, past old wOrn-out lead
and silver mines which abound there, I
arrived at a point where my course be-
gan its descent into the valley below.
The valley at my feet presented the ap-
pearance of a large, natural bowl about
twenty miles in diameter, gradually
sloping toward the center, whereon
calmly rests the pretty lake which
gives its name to the quiet, sleepy VIII
lage resting on its margin.
lough-literally the glen of
the lakes-once a large diocesan city,
was founded by Sir Keyin in the sixth
century. There is no doubt about its
former greatness; today it abounds in
interesting ruins chief amongst which
are the famous Seven Churches. a ca
thedral, a monastery. castle defenses,
large public buildings. and a round
tower. in fairly good state of preser-
walton. Everywhere in that delightful
spot there are finger posts of ancient
greatness. and the elements of romance
abound in the very atmosphere, where
the transient lights and shades laugh
ingly chase each other over the nuner-
Gus hooks, dells and wooded sweeps q
this enhancing beauty spot. Previous
to my visit there l entertained serious
doubts of the truth Of many romantic
episodes said to have been enacted in
Glendalough: since then. however. |
have been less skeptical.
In 1914 A. .. the diocesan see of
Glendalough was annexed to Dublin.
The Danish invasion in the tenth cen
tury and the subsequent English inva-
sions in the thirteenth and fourteenth
centuries effectively completed the
ruin, with the sad result that the fine
city of GlendalOugh of LOO years ago
is today a sleepy little village of 200
souls and a mere collection Of ruins. 1t
has, however, a good hotel. a small.
neat inn. and few stores which are
chiefly supported by tourists who gath
er there from many countries.
The Four Masters. O'Hart Webb,
and other historians. dealt somewhat at
length with Glendalough and its le-
gends. nor is il forgotten in poetry and
song. for both Moore and Gerald Griffin,
among others, sing sweetly of it
The lake is q small, pretty sheet of
water probably not two miles wide.
with peculiar. sombre and gloomy
shade. a feature generally characteris-
tic of lakes closely surrounded by
mountains of even moderate altitude.
Here in the vicinity Of the lake in the
sixth century Saint Kevin toiled.
prayed and tasted; the deep imprints
of his knees are yet pointed out on the
stones on which he knelt in prayer. also
The rude stone mortars in which he and
his devout brothers, the good monks.
ground corn to supply their meager
needs: and doubtless. they drew largely
for sustenance on the fine fish that
abounded. and still abound, in the
axes clear waters.
by that lake whose gloomy store
Skylark MARBLES Ger"
You make capture skvlark. take If
in boat toward the lakes center. and
release it, and it instantly veers along
the surface TO the shore. like swallows
in pursuit of flies, when it instantly
shoots heavenward and in the fullness
of its glee pours out its glorious song
as if its very throat would burst with
the volume of melody. In any other
portion of the earth when you release
from capture a skylark it shoots up
ward AT once singing as its scars aloft.
gfdcJlcaiIN every stone and bend of
the roadways. every mountain sweep
and curve of the lakes edge, as well as
most of the ruins are pointed out to the
tourist today in some connection with
the life Of ST. Kevin
Saint Kevin was born Of a princely
family. A. D. 49S in a portion of the
present county of Wicklow, then
known as Tir Tuathel He was bap-
tiZed by St Cronin and received his
education under the holy Petrocus. A
long and warm intimacy existed be-
tween him and Saints Columbkille and
CiraE. st. Kevin. we are told, was a
handsome man with an attractive per-
sonality. He was a very learned scholar,
and a famous theologian. frequently
retiring to mountain caves for long
periods at a time in order to more zeal
ously pursue his theological studies:
about two miles distant from the abbey
on the eastern shore of the lake is a
huge overhanging ledge of rock known
as St. Kevin's bed. He was very fond
of nature. of birds and flowers, and we
frequently find him represented with a
bird in his hand. The saint died in SIS
A D., having attained the patriarchal
a ee of 100 wears His feast is celebrate