Glendalough

Glendalough is one of Ireland’s most iconic landscapes, combining stunning scenery with evocative ruined architecture, including distinctively Irish styles such as the round tower. The popular understanding of the valley’s history is that Saint Kevin retreated into the wilderness where he could be closer to God, and that there he founded his monastery which rose to a position of pre-dominance before subsequent decline. This is a powerful story, appealing to important myths about the nature of early Irish Christianity and with a complex relationship with Irish cultural nationalism. However, it is only a partial understanding of the long-term history of how humans have settled the spectacular valley of Glendalough. Glendalough is also often viewed as a natural landscape, but its form is an outcome of the long-term interaction between people and their environment. This brief outline, and fieldtrip, offers a more holistic perspective on this remarkable landscape.