A “Valley of 1,000 Hills” image from Flickr – click on the name of the photographer below to see more Durban goodness and to thank the photographer.
Approaching Upper Lake and the Wicklow Mountains
Photo by Can Pac Swire
The nothern shore of Upper Lake rises steeply into the Wicklow Mountains.
xxx
Glendalough (glen = valley in Celtic, lough/ loch = lake, Glendalough = valley of the lakes) was an Early Celtic Christian monastery founded by St. Kevin in the 6th century. It flourished for over 600 years well into the 1200s. During its heyday, Glendalough included church buildings, a cathedral, a round tower, workshops, an infirmary, farm buildings and dwellings for both the monks and a large lay population; it was also a centre of learning, and manuscript copying and writing.
It was badly damaged by English troops in 1398. Its final demise happened around the Dissolution of the Monasteries in 1539 (blame Henry VIII).
Kevin of Glendalough’s life was not well-documented. He was said to have been born in 498 AD, out of one of the ruling families of Leinster. He studied priesthood and later founded the Glendalough monastery in the 6th century. He lived his life at Glendalough as a hermit monk, minimising outside contact. Nevertheless, his reputation as a holy man spread, and followers paid pilgrimage at Glendalough for centuries. St. Kevin supposedly died in 618 AD, suggesting that he lived for 120 years!
Click here to submit your News – free.
Have you tried: Visiting Port Elizabeth?
Quick Durban KwaZulu-Natal Fact: Durbanites are pretty laid-back and we think it’s because we live at a slower pace than bigger cities caught up in concrete jungles and rat races. This means we’re more patient, more involved with our families and have more time to enjoy our city. This combination makes us quite a friendly and helpful bunch.
Watch a Video:
