Known as “the Garden of Ireland”, Wicklow has wonderful scenery, with mountains, wooded valleys and lakes. It is fringed on the east by golden sandy beaches. Major routes to the east and west go through two of the highest passes in the country – Sally Gap and Wicklow Gap.
Among its spectacular valleys are Glenmalure, Glencree, Glenmacnass, the Glen of Immal, and the most famous of all – Glendalough.
The area is very popular with outdoor enthusiasts for the range of activities it offers – walking, cycling, shore, coarse and game angling, golf, riding, watersports. It’s also the home of one of the country’s most famous early Christian sites, Glendalough, and there are a number of historic gardens and houses to visit.
Because of its wonderful scenery, the county has been used as a location for many films over the years, including Excalibur, Braveheart, Far and Away and Michael Collins. The very successful Irish television series Ballykissangel was made in the pretty village of Avoca . The largest town is Bray, the county capital is Wicklow Town , and its other main towns include Arklow and Greystones.
Glendalough
Make sure you don’t leave Wicklow without visiting Glendalough. The most memorable approach to it is from the west, decending from the Wicklow Gap, 10 miles (16 km) southwest of Enniskerry. The towering peaks of the Wicklow Mountains, covered in forests, are reflected in the two lakes that give the valley its name – “the glen of two lakes.” It really is a beautiful and special place.
The monastic settlement here was founded in the sixth century by the hermit Saint Kevin, and flourished as a place of pilgrimage until the 16th century, when it was almost destroyed. The surviving buildings, dating from the eighth to 12th centuries, include a round tower, which is in nearly perfect condition, a cathedral, seven stone churches, and some decorated crosses.
Saint Kevin was looking for a place of solitude and having found it, remained and lived an isolated life of a hermit on this site. His simple life attracted thousands of people who were intrigued by St. Kevin's independent and scholarly ways. Over time, a school developed, which attracted thousands of students from Europe . St. Kevin died in the year AD 618 at 120 years of age but the remains of his monastery can still be seen today.
The most famous of all the landmarks in the area is the Round Tower which stands 110 feet above the ground. It was built almost 1000 years ago by the monks of St. Kevin's monastery. The roof had to be replaced in 1876 when it was struck by lightning. Local folklore reveals that when the repairs were being carried out, Sam Kennedy, a local man, danced around the rim of the tower every day. The tower was originally built as a bell tower and was used as a place of refuge when the monastery was attacked by Viking marauders.
There are many stone crosses and churches to see around Glendalough. The Gateway arches, which was the main entrance to the early monastic enclosure leads you into the cashel where you will find the impressive round tower, remains of several churches and cathedrals, and old gravestones. As well as these magnificent remains, there is the breathtaking scenery of the valley to enjoy. If you have the time, take a walk around the grounds on one of the may trails and enjoy the beautiful scenery.
Avoca Village
The village of Avoca lies in the heart of the Wicklow Mountains . It is here in Avoca where you will find the "Meeting of the Waters", the point at which the Avonmore and Avonbeg Rivers come together to form the Avoca River . The famed poet Thomas Moore immortalized this meeting point nearly 200 years ago when he wrote the words to the Irish Melody, "Sweet Vale of Avoca". This area around the Meeting of the Waters is renowned for traditional Irish music and ballad sessions and the Avoca Melody Fair is held annually here towards the end of May.
There is a long tradition of mining, farming and tourism in Avoca. Copper mining began in Avoca around 1720 and continued until 1982, making this the longest running mining operation in Ireland . A plaque at the Church of Saints Mary and Patrick pays tribute to the miners who helped in the building of the church. There are many walks around the area that take you through old mine workings. Descriptions of the more interesting walks can be found at the Avoca Tourist Office.
Avoca is home to Ireland 's oldest woolen mill, Avoca Handweavers, established in 1723. This family-owned craft design company began at the Old Mill where weavers produced the beautifully woven fabrics which became Avoca's hallmark.
Today traditional handweaving still takes place at the Old Mill and in honor of the Irish custom of quality design and craftsmanship. You can visit Avoca handweavers and browse through their exceptional crafts and then enjoy some delicious home cooking in their restaurant.
Recently Avoca has become most famous for being the setting of the popular BBC soap opera "Ballykissangel". In the village you can visit many of the places seen on the series including the Church of Saints Mary and Patrick and Fitzgeralds, the local watering hole where you can view photos of the stars of the Ballykissangel while you sip your pint of Guinness.
Powerscourt House & Gardens
Powerscourt House and Gardens near Enniskerry just outside Dublin, were laid out magnificently in a 14,000 acre estate overlooking the Little Sugar Loaf in the Wicklow Mountains under the direction of successive Viscount Powerscourts. The first strategic castle built on the site was in 1173 and this was strengthened by the Norman le Poers in 1300.
It passed through the hands of the Fitzgeralds and the O'Tooles, but the lands were finally declared forfeit to the Crown in the 17th century and James I gave the estate to the Knight Marchant of Ireland, Richard Wingfield, making him the first Viscount Powerscourt in 1618. The Wingfields incorporated the medieval castle into the Palladian manorhouse, which stands today, and commissioned the plans for the gardens in 1740.
They collected tonnes of European statuary and the garden is beautifully decorated with marble and bronzes and fountains including Titan blowing into a conch in the Triton Lake, statues of Apollo, Diana, Fame and Victory and the Spitting Men fountain and even the Gate from Bamberg Cathedral in Bavaria. The most spectacular are two gigantic zinc winged horses from the Wingfield crest.
The Italian, Japanese and Walled gardens are masterpieces of landscape design: the terraced Italian Garden took 100 men 12 years to finish. Powerscourt House was totally gutted by fire in 1974 just after it had been completely renovated, however the building has since been partially restored and the downstairs rooms now house shops, a café which opens onto the terrace and an exhibition about the estate's history which includes an entertaining audiovisuals show.
Powerscourt Waterfall - The Powerscourt Waterfall, a few miles away from Powerscourt House set scenically in the Wicklow Mountains, is the highest waterfall in Britain and Ireland at 400 feet. One of its main anecdotes tells how Viscount Powerscourt dammed the nearby Powerscourt Waterfall so that he could entertain the visiting King George IV by releasing a torrent while the two stood on a bridge built across the falls below.
Luckily for Wingfield the King could not be bothered to leave the banquet at the nearby Powerscourt House to see the spectacle because when the water was released the viewing bridge was totally washed away. You can reach the Waterfall either along a four mile walk from Powerscourt House through the estate or through the separate road entrance.
