County Kerry to County Wicklow

Yesterday, wearing two wool sweaters, I drove the whole day in the rain from Kenmare in County Kerry to Cork to Waterford and then up to the tiny village of Glendalough in the Wicklow Mountains. The radio reported flash flooding in Dublin. I arrived in Glendalough early enough to knock on three doors before finding a B&B with an available room. My window opened to a backyard of trees and the sound of a roaring river. The proprietess, Ingrid, single mother of three young boys, said worry existed about the river rising even higher. This morning, as some of us stood outside under umbrellas, the tour guide said, "We're used to rain, you know, but soft rain, not these torrential rains; it's scary."

Curtains of blowing rain hid most of the wild hills and two deep lakes of Glendalough, nickname the "garden of Ireland." In addition to Dingle, this would be the other place I would want to return to in Ireland, when the sun is shining, to hike the 127 km Wicklow Way, which is the oldest marked hiking trail in Ireland. Staying at the B&B were two couples from Holland who were taking three days, in rain gear and all, to hike it. They seemed ecstatic. I know that feeling, when you're really out there touching the wild.

What I did get to see at Glendalough were remnants of a monastic settlement and pilgrimage site going back to the sixth century, including an impressive 100-foot tall, intact stone tower. In the ruins of the stone church was a 1789 carved gravestone for a Kehoe, my mother's maiden name. Glendalough is the only ancient monastic settlement whose entrance gate still stands. Directly inside is the sanctuary stone, a large boulder marked with an ancient cross, to signify that all who enter are now under the abbot's authority and not the king's. Sinners and criminals would come to seek refuge and forgiveness. Pilgrims who couldn't make it to room would do their best to make it to places like Glendalough, more than once, in the hopes of insuring their entry into heaven. Rain water contained in hollowed out stones was said to be curative, especially for the face. I was the only one in our group who cupped the water in my hands and splashed my face.

I had my usual Irish breakfast this morning: muelsli, brown bread, and hot tea.