Glencree Glencree ( ) is a valley in the Wicklow Mountains in eastern Ireland . It is the second closest valley in the mountains to Dublin city , the first being Glencullen . The River Dargle flows down the valley , which rises to a height of about 400 metres ( 1 , 312 feet ) . The foot of the valley is site of the village of Enniskerry . The barracks . The top of the glen emerges onto the military road , constructed by the British Army in the early 19th century in order to hunt down the United Irishmen guerrillas , holding out in the mountains after the Irish Rebellion of 1798 . A barracks was built at Glencree , just off the road in 1806 . With then end of the Napoleonic Wars in 1815 , the building was vacated by the British Army . In 1858 the buildings were converted into a reformatory school . St . Kevin ’ s Reformatory was operated by the Oblates of Mary Immaculate ( OMI ) . it closed in 1940 It was used to house German prisoners of war during the First World War 1914 - 18 , when Ireland was still part of the United Kingdom . During the Second World War , 1939 – 45 , when Ireland was neutral , Glencree housed German Air Force pilots who crashed in Ireland as well as German agents who were captured trying to plan anti - British activities with the IRA . Under " Operation Shamrock " the Irish Red Cross and the French Sisters of Charity cared for German and Polish war orphans from 1945 to 1950 . The Glencree Centre for Peace and Reconciliation opened in 1975 to foster better relations between the two communities in Northern Ireland . Currently , they run a broad range of programmes aimed at bringing various actors from global conflict zones to the valley . At present , there are programmes serving youth , women , ex - combatants , the churches , victims and political / economic leaders . Also , the centre provides training in mediation and conflict resolution , as well as hosting a summer school each year on a topic of relevance to the Irish conflict and society . Of late , they have begun broadening their reach to include actors from other global conflicts , most notably from the Middle East , Sri Lanka and Haiti . Finally , the centre runs a volunteer programme that invites adults from around the world to serve from 2 months to one year on programme and service work . From September 2007 , volunteers will fulfil only menial tasks , with six interns working on the programmes . On the site , there is a gift and coffee shop . When programmes are not in session , the rooms are rented in hostel - style . German War Cemetery . Glencree German War Cemetery ( ) was dedicated on 9 July 1961 . There are 134 graves . Most are ( air force ) or ( navy ) personnel . 53 are identified , 28 are unknown . Six remains belong to World War I prisoners of war held by the British . Forty six were German civilian detainees , who were being shipped from Britain to Canada for internment when their ship , was torpedoed by a German U - boat , , off Tory Island , County Donegal , on July 1940 . Dr . Hermann Görtz , an Abwehr spy , is also buried there . Dr . Görtz , who committed suicide after the war , feared he would be handed over to the Soviet Union . It is administered by the German War Graves Commission ( ) . Alongside the German Cemetery , on the bank of the Glencree River , a Mass rock is located . It may be reached by a narrow riverside path . Grotto . In the valley , where the Glencree River ( little more than a stream ) flows , there is a grotto dedicated to Our Lady of Reconciliation . Youth hostel . There was previously a youth hostel some metres outside the Glencree gates . The mountains around Glencree are popular for walking . This hostel , operated by An Óige since 1950 , was sold 2 May 2006 . Hostel - style accommodation is now available in the Centre for Reconciliation .