One of the most celebrated monastic foundations in Ireland, Glendalough has a beauty seen even its name, which means "valley of the two lakes." Situated by these lakes, the monastery consisted of several churches and other buildings, some still in good condition. To see an enlargement of the picture at left, press here.

Saint Kevin, the patron of Glendalough, is said to have come to this region to meditate.

One legend about the saint tells of how the Devil sought to tempt him in the guise of an enchanting maiden intent on distracting him from his prayers. Despite the temptations and afflictions, Kevin steadfastly continued to pray, and the demon temptress was drowned in one of the lakes. It is possible that this legend is a reworking of earlier tales of human sacrifice.

Whatever troubles brought to Glendalough by the Devil, the depredations of human beings explain one of the most distinctive structures found in Irish monasteries, the round tower, as seen below. These buildings protected the monks and the treasures of their churches from the Vikings and other marauders. Note the door raised well above ground level.

While Vikings afflicted Glendalough as well as other monasteries, the looters were frequently home-grown. Clonmacnoise, another monastery with a round tower, suffered far more raids at the hands of Irish raiders than from the Norsemen.

As in the case of other monasteries, Glendalough eventually declined and then fell into ruin.

Even after it was abandoned, however, the monastic site continued to draw visitors. During the nineteenth century, Irish fairs known as patterns were commonplace, and the pattern at Glendalough was even portrayed in a large painting now at University College Dublin. Still more recently, the ruins have attracted tourists from around the world.