There are certain places that are too magical to visit only once. For me, Glendalough is one of those places. When we first visited it in the height of summer 2006, it was bustling (rather than heaving) with tourists and Jane was not well. While she tried to sleep off the effects of a nasty bug and the heavy medication, I went for a walk in the long summer evening, through the ruins of the Monastic City and along the lower lake shore to a large picnic spot with amazing views up the valley to the Wicklow mountains. I couldn’t wait to bring Jane back there the following day.

We just had to go back there last weekend. It was a good few degrees cooler and there were noticeably fewer folk around. We set off from the car park, not too sure how far, or high we were prepared to walk but ready for a bit of an adventure. The track rose steeply from the start and the first half an hour or so was pretty hard going. It was only when we came out on the ridge above the lake that we realised how high we had climbed. The car park was visible way below us and beyond it the tall round tower of the monastic site was clearly visible. We followed the ridge, enjoying some spectacular views before climbing to the high point of the walk then descending to the river at the far end of the lake where we picnicked in sight of wild deer. The tranquillity was only shattered by a phone call from work- someone wanted to know the price of a guitar. It was then a short, steep descent to the remains of an old miner’s village then a stroll along the lake back to the car park.

This was one of those walks that I’ll remember forever. It was part of a long weekend away. We’d spent the night before in Wexford after following the coastal route along Ireland’s south east. We also revisited Kilkenny and popped in at the Rock of Cashel and Mitchelstown Cave on the way home. Cashel is spectacular. It’s a jumble of medieval buildings perched atop a large rock that sticks out of the otherwise flat country-side. It was once the seat of the High Kings of Munster and later became one of the most important centres for the young Celtic Church. There’s a round tower, a beautiful Romanesque chapel which still retains fragments of the original murals, painted on its walls, the remnants of a larger cathedral and a castle. We were there early and almost had the place to ourselves. With clear blue skies and views for miles, it was certainly one to remember.

Oh, and we found another stone circle. I have a few thoughts on that that I’ll save for the book.