The Road to Dublin
Glendalough
On the road to Dublin, we visited Glendalough, a monastic site, which delivered another round tower. An interesting observation about the round towers is that the door is raised off the ground, as you can see in the photo to the right. Historians debate the reason for this design, with previous hypotheses of defensive uses falling out of favor for less dramatic reasons, like structural integrity.
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Upon entering the visitor center at Glendalough, there is an interactive exhibit and an informational video. The Lego Glendalough that is on display is not to be missed. Never one to miss a homework assignment, I had read about it in Rick Steves' guidebook the night before and would have walked past it if not for the heads up!
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You'll have to decide how to spend your time here: wander the ruins of the monastic settlement or trek through the forest towards the Glendalough lake.
Kilmainham Gaol
We toured Kilmainham Gaol in Dublin as we entered the city. The jail held many prominent Irish political prisoners who fought against British rule, notably the leaders of the 1916 Easter Rising. The execution of the Easter Rising leaders led to a change in Irish opinion of the conflict and was a major turning point in the struggle for Irish independence. The central picture below shows the Kilmainham Madonna, painted by Grace Punkett, while she was held at Kilmainham during the Irish Civil War.
