ST KEVIN’S WAY 2020 St Kevin’s Way is a moderate grade, way-marked, linear trail of around thirty kilometres that follows the old pilgrimage route known as St Kevin’s road. Following the death of St Kevin of Glendalough, the monastery in Glendalough became a place of pilgrimage as the stories of Kevin’s life and the miracles attributed to him became widely known. Pilgrims travelled to Glendalough in search of healing throughout the year, and the pilgrimage became well known as an alternative to travelling to Rome. Nowadays, it is regarded as an alternative to the well-known Camino de Santiago. The ‘pattern day’ or ‘Patron day’ was the third of June, the anniversary of Kevin’s death in 618 A.D, or his ‘Resurrection’ as it was known by early Christians. It was celebrated by the crowds of pilgrims who attended the Fair. The activities, which included fighting, gambling and drinking, ceased in 1862 when the Catholic bishops put a stop to such ‘religious celebrations’! Pilgrims travelled from many different directions, and the many paths that lead to Glendalough are all known as ‘St Kevin’s’ Road. However, the path from Hollywood was said to be the path walked by Kevin himself when he left Hollywood in search of the greater isolation of the glacial crags of the Valley of the Two Lakes. 1 History In earlier times, there may have been a pre-existing trading route through the Wicklow mountains linking west Wicklow with the sea. Nowadays, we might wonder how Kevin found Glendalough to be a more peaceful location than Hollywood but in ancient times, the Hollywood area marked a very important cross roads between the ancient north to south road known as the Slighe Chualann and the east to west trading View towards Valleymount from Church mountain route which connected the sea ports on the east coast with the fertile plains of Kildare at Church mountain. Church mountain is known as one of the four main Lughnasagh pilgrimage mountains sites in Ireland. The other three are Slieve Donard, Mount Brandon and Croagh Patrick. Pilgrims travelling to Glendalough from the Dublin direction may have taken another ancient path through the village of Valleymount, and over the hill known as the Togher. It was documented that pilgrims from both directions would meet at Ballinagee. They waited here until there were sufficient numbers to travel on towards Tonelagee and the Wicklow Gap. Tonelagee means ‘back to the wind’. There is another mountain called Fair Hill south of Tonelagee. This name reflects the location of a campsite near a big rock below Fair Hill that was used by pilgrims travelling to the ‘Fair’ at ‘Seven Churches’ or Glendalough. It is possible that this area was used before a church and huts were built at Templeteenaun, Ballinagee. The pilgrims then travelled in groups over the Wicklow Gap which was quite a perilous journey in those days. 2 The Hollywood Stone There are carved standing stones and boulders along both routes. The most famous of these is called the Hollywood Stone although it was found in the Valleymount area. It can be viewed in the OPW Visitor Centre in Glendalough. The Hollywood Stone is a huge granite boulder carved with a labyrinth pattern known as ‘The Walls of Troy’ These patterns are associated with pilgrimage all over the world and the discovery of this stone implies the importance of this ancient pilgrimage route in previous times. The stone was found by some local people who were catching rabbits with a ferret. When the ferret got stuck in a rabbit hole, a bar was used to move a boulder in order to dig out the ferret. Peter Byrne from Lockstown recognised the carving on the rock that they moved with the bar. St Kevin’s Road was known to exist, as it appears on very early maps, but the exact location of the road had been lost over time. In the 1990’s, a group of people who were interested in the preservation of local heritage came together to research the location of the route. They were lucky to have a number of resources to refer to, along with the Heritage Council’s decision to fund the reclaimation of known pilgrimage routes in Ireland to mark the Millennium year of 2000. Previous work done by Liam Price JP and Paddy Healy was utilised along with interviewing local people and days spent walking in the hills. State archaeologist Peter Harbison made a lasting impression as he climbed up and down ditches, through briars and bogs, checking interesting finds, whilst splendidly dressed in jacket and tie. St Kevin’s Way Committee, as the group became known, succeeded in having St Kevin’s Way opened in 2001 as a way-marked trail with the considerable assistance of the Heritage Council, Coillte and Wicklow Mountains National Park. 3 St Kevin’s Way and Pilgrimage Passports There followed a period of decline in interest in the walking trail until Easter Saturday in 2014 when a guided walk was held in conjunction with John O’Dwyer’s Pilgrim Paths Ireland. A new group known as Friends of St Kevin’s Way was created to keep the trail open to the public with much help from Wicklow Partnership, Wicklow Mountains National Park and the Rural Recreation officers, Pat Mellon and Bryan Fennell. St Kevin’s Way became one of the five designated Pilgrim paths in Ireland to be included in the Irish Pilgrim Path Passport. On completion of the route, walkers can get their passport stamped with a labyrinth symbol. When all five routes are completed, the walker is eligible for the ‘ Teasta Oiithreachta’ (Irish Pilgrim Walk Certificate). Passports can be stamped in the Hollywood Café and at the Information Office of Wicklow Mountains National Park. To obtain a passport or for more information, you can visit Hollywood Café in the old post office in Hollywood village or contact [email protected] For information on the Pilgrimage Passports and more up to date news and Information on St Kevin’s Way and other pilgrimage routes in Ireland, visit www.pilgrimpathireland.ie Or check out the facebook page ‘Glendalough Pilgrimage’ 4 Recent improvements to the trail In 2019/20, following a generous grant from the Department of Rural and Community Development (Outdoor Recreational Infrastructure Scheme 2016), St Kevin’s Way was upgraded to make it safer and easier to follow. The funding was obtained by St Kevin’s Way Partnership, the group that replaced the previous committees. The stepping stone river crossing over the Glendasan River, north of Camaderry, has been replaced by a foot bridge Parts of the dangerous road sections have been re-routed onto a beautifully constructed, new trail. The existing boardwalk has been upgraded and two car parks at the Wicklow Gap have been resurfaced. The improvements were carried out by the staff of the Wicklow Mountains National Park and Wicklow County Council. Native trees have been planted along the side of the new trail to enhance biodiversity and provide some shelter. Safety issues: the trail is a linear path so it requires car parking for those who are walking. There are few car parking spaces in Hollywood and Valleymount villages, so you are advised to park in the managed car parks in Glendalough. Please do not leave valuables in your car, especially when parking on the Wicklow Gap. Please take great care when walking along sections of public road.Visibility for on-coming traffic can be poor and there is no safe path for walkers. 5 The Route St Kevins Way has two starting places in West Wicklow to reflect the routes taken by pilgrims in previous times. One in Hollywood village and one in Valleymount village The route is marked by black direction posts with a yellow pilgrim symbol and there are brown fingerpost signs at road junctions. It consists of some farmland tracks over private ground, minor roads, forest trails, a few short major road stretches, and specially constructed gravel paths. It is not a Right of Way except for the public road sections so please respect the landowner’s wishes and follow ‘Leave No Trace’ principles. Do not bring dogs onto private land, keep to the designated path and close all gates. The trail is a pedestrian trail only. You are requested not to operate drones unless you have a permit and refrain from disturbing any livestock or wild animals. The full route is about a seven hour Downloadable Maps are available from: walk. From Ballinagee Bridge, it takes https://visitwicklow.ie/item/saint-kevins-way/ about four hours to Glendalough, and from the Wicklow Gap to Glendalough The entire route is delineated on the map: is around two hours, allowing for stops ‘Wicklow Mountains West‘ along the way. The altitude at the Available from: Wicklow Gap is 440 metres. www.eastwestmapping.ie Please note that you are responsible for your own safety while walking this path. In the unlikely event that you require medical assistance, please ring 999 or 112 and make a request for Mountain Rescue. Your phone will access emergency calls even if you are out of range of a phone signal. 6 West of the Wicklow Gap The Hollywood Spur follows the bottom of a beautiful valley overlooked by a statue of St Kevin. The statue is perched on rocks above a cave where he was reputed to live before he went to stay in Glendalough There is a holy well in the village named after him. Prayer tree in Hollywood Glen St Kevin and his cave Leaving the village, the trail passes near the site of church ruins at Dunboyke, which is on private land.