Travel Feature: Monastic Ruins in Glendalough, Ireland
By Teresa Cheong, Lifebridges Communications. This Singapore freelance copywriter reflects on her trip to Ireland and an ancient monk's spiritual legacy in this travel feature.
Standing tall through
the test of time
Buildings that stood the test
of time framed the surreal landscape at the ancient monastic site.
The Round Bell Tower, the arched gateway
to the monastic ‘city’ and the roofless cathedral. The tower was an enemy lookout and refuge for monks during Viking raids. Tall, narrow windows perched several feet above ground. It would have been a mad scramble up the ladder during a sudden raid.
Wall of silence around monastic ruins
An impenetrable silence formed a wall around the monastic enclosure. A silence that demanded awe and reverence from its visitors. As I walked among the monastic ruins, my mind was transported to the time of S.t Kevin when devout
Catholic pilgrims walked thousands of miles to reach the holy site. They camped on monastic grounds and slept in cold, bare cells with their rosaries.
History carved on stone
Hidden in the backyard of St. Kevin's Kitchen was an abandoned graveyard and its museum of centuries-old Celtic crosses.
The tomb slabs were inscribed with names
of people who had lived out their lives and died in
the monastic settlement of the Wicklow County.
All things would come to an end
The thought that 15
centuries of human life had
passed through the rolling hills and and valley of Glendalough both awed and humbled me.
The dramatic
rise and sudden fall of St Kevin's settlement shows the
transitory nature of all human life and its structures. What greatness
civilisations, nations and societies can attest to now will end at some point in 'future' history.
I haven't been back to the monastic ruins of Glendalough since my first visit. I might one day. This time, I must make it a point to remember at least one name on the monastic tombstones.
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Getting there
Take the St Kevin’s daily bus service to Glendalough from the bus terminus at St Stephen’s Green in Dublin. The
bus leaves at 11.30 am from Dublin, and arrives at Glendalough
by 1.30 pm.
The last bus leaves Glendalough for Dublin at
4.30 pm from Mondays to Fridays, and 5.30 pm on Sundays and Bank
Holidays. For details, go to the St Kevin’s Bus Service website.
Not to be reprinted without written permission.
Copyright 2009-2013 Teresa Cheong. All Rights Reserved.
Teresa Cheong is a Singapore freelance copywriter, web writer and business writer. She takes pride in creating quality web content that engages and sells. If you need web content writing service, contact her here.