The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1910-02-05
A PICTURESQUE SPOT
IN COUNTY WICKLOW
Seven Churches of Glenda-
lough Whose Ruins Are
Now Seen by Travelers--In
the Midst of Them is a
Lofty Round Tower as Old
as the Pyramids of Egypt
Sweet Vale of Avoca I'm
mortalized by Moore.

mortalized by Moore.
At Csstletown in the County of Wex-
| ford, Irsland, spent few days with
| my COUSIN, Mrs. Ellen Redmond Bowes,
who, with her husband, conducted a
National School there. AS it was vaca-
ton time. they suggested an excursion
| to the Valley of the Seven Churches
known also ar Glendalough or the Glen
of the Lakes. writes DR.. Gregory Doyle
in the Syracuse Sun.
! The next day we started out and
when we relched the town Of Arklow
we met an association of school teach.
ers WHO were enroute for the same
place. We coined the party which we
found very .ongenial and interesting.
At Duntrurl we met another party
that had just arrived from Dublin, the
members of which Joined us and COM
pletely filled the train that was bound
for Glendalough.
This interesting little hamlet is in
the townlanG of Ballinacor in the
County of Wicklow. 1t is one of the
most famous places in all Ireland. Situ-
ated in & valley, it impresses the
tourist. who first beholds it from the
mountain side, with feelings of both
admiration and sorrow-the first for
it's wonderful history, the latter for Its
mass of lesclate ruins. Long before
4 powerful nations Of. the present day
Had thei: existence this was a seat Of
learning that sent out teachers and
savants to many lands. History is
filed with pages Of the teachings of
it's learned scholars who as linguists,
translators, copyists, etc, were. i. sue
cessful IN preserving the knowledge
Of early times and transmitting it to
natives and foreigners who hocked to
this famous valley for instruction.
st. Kcvjn who lived in the sixth cen
tury as hermit on the shore of the
upper lake, is sold to have been the
founder OF the Seven Churches whose
ruins are still to be seen there. In the
midst Of all stands lofty round tower
that has not as vet succumbed to the
ravages Of time but is in a state OF
preservation that would lead one to
imagine it might have been built with
in the last decade. This is perhaps
the most perfect specimen of thost
mystic towers that are the wonder
and puzzle Of antiquarians and archae-
ologists. 1t is 10 feet in height ani
81 feet in circumference at the base
from which it gracefully tapers to &
summit, covered with conical roof.
It was the first tower Of the kind
had ever seen, and to make sure thai
saw it and even felt it, walked
clear around it with one hand on its
wall. 1t Looks almost as clean and
perfect as II the masons had but JUS
finished it. taken down their scaffold.
and gone home to an early dinner.
When it is remembered that thi,
{ tower is perhaps as old, if not older
> than the Pyramids of Egypt it will
, seem almost incrsdible that it coult
remain in such state of preservation
as we find it today. The late Henr,
I O'Brien in his exhaustive treatise OF
the "Round Towers of Ireland" afte
citing many authorities and comparing
l different sources of information comes
to the conclusion that they had thei
origin with sect of Buddists tina
. f1ourished in ancient Persia, and emf
grated to Ireland in prehistoric times
where they built those towers as monu
/. ments to the diety they worshipped.
r Walking through the ruins of tn
Seven Churches which surround thi
. tower are to be seen the remains o
4 st. Kevin's Church, the Cathedral, tn
a Lady Chapel, Trinity Church, st. Sa
viour's Abbey, said to contain tn
!, tomb Of St. Kevin, and the Refeart o
K Cemetery Church. The remains of tn
r seventh are not now visible. Thes
ruins still show some rare example
/. of artistic workmanship so character
istic of ancient Hibernia. In the GENE
terry and through the valley are to b
r. ments of beautiful and unique desigr