Monastic Ireland: Glendalough & Monasterboice

Glendalough


      Glendalough, which literally means “the glen between two lakes”, was founded by St. Kevin near 550. His intention was to leave society and live as an ascetic monk. However, the people followed this great leader into his exile in the Wicklow Mountains. The followers quickly turned Glendalough into a monastic site that was unique to the Irish countryside. It became a self-sustaining society that was often visited on pilgrimages by people of all backgrounds. It became an early bishopric when St Kevin was ordained as a bishop in the early sixth century. It was also home to the abbot (the legal authority), airchinnech (next in command), priests, secular (traveling) monks, women, scholars, anchorites, penitents, craftsmen, and other tenants. The priests and scholars became some of the most renown minuscule writers in all of Ireland. The architectural landscape is characterized by the two churches (12th Century), a round tower (10th Century), numerous free-standing crosses (8th through12th Century), and the double gateway formed out of massive granite rock (probably between the 10th and 12th Century). The Round Tower (Cloigtheach) stands 30 meters high and is one of best preserved monuments from all of medieval Ireland. It is land of inspiring beauty and spirituality. It is one of the most preserved monastic sites in all of Ireland. After the double gateway, there is a small cross etched into the right wall. It signifies the sanctuary provided by the early church for all the people entering into the community. The monastic site was abandoned around the 16th Century. The site was restored to a portion of its former beauty in 1875. Aside from the architectural landscape, it is beautifully located in the valley between mountains. Specifically, the upper lake provides for a magnificent display of how the country was before St. Kevin arrived and why exactly this ascetic monk would have chosen this area.

Monastic sites such as Glendalough clearly show how the original people founded these sites to be centers of living, learning, and faith. Monk’s miniscule scripts preserved countless literary and biblical works. Most of the preserved materials were safely held in the round towers. Although they were not built for the purpose of stopping the Viking invaders, they inevitably become the source of salvation for years of hard work by the scribes. Before the Golden Age of Ireland, the Emerald Isle had no real forms of societal living. All of the inhabitants were spread far and
wide across the cold countryside. Monastic sites changed that. With these new forms of city life, monastic sites provided a unique form of governmental unification for different types of people. This completely changed Ireland from nomadic people groups such as the Celts and druids into the modern Irish people that currently occupy the 26 counties.

Our group’s first response after the trip was to reflect on the pure beauty of the site. Although the day was cold, the sun was shining and the scenery was incredible. Everyone stopped at the upper to get a picture of the iconic landscape. Going back home that night, Facebook was littered of pictures taken by each student with the similar background of the lake and mountains. Aside from the natural beauty, the architecture was both impressive and riveting. Nathan particularly enjoyed the contrast of grave monuments throughout the centuries, specifically the absence of the cross during certain centuries. Kayleigh was awestruck by the double gateway and loved the cross after the entrance. All seven of us really enjoyed going to St. Kevin’s kitchen and the opportunity to express modern worship in a place what was used by monks that worship through their everyday life. The aesthetic beauty of such a site does little in comparison to the overwhelming sense of what went on at this monastic site. Christians, in particular, might enjoy this site more because of how important monastic sites are to history of the church and the preservation of faith through fellow believers in different points in history.

The Round Tower at Glendalough

Glendalough entry arches.

Cemetery and Cathedral at Glendalough.

The lake where St. Kevin lived at Glendalough.

Monasterboice

       Monasterboice, a small cemetery in County Louth, contains the remains of two churches, one of Ireland’s largest round towers, and a number of Romanesque headstones both ancient and modern. Monasterboice is notable because it contains the West Cross, the tallest high cross in Ireland at 6.5 meters, as well as the ornately carved Muirdach’s Cross, which illustrates numerous Bible stories. These kinds of crosses were significant for the believers of the time because they served as pictorial representations of the Gospels so that the stories could be effectively and memorably relayed to the illiterate.

Monasterboice was founded in the 5th century by Saint Buithe, a Scottish-born monk who traveled to Italy before starting a school at Monasterboice. Like Glendalough, it quickly became a center for spirituality and scholarship. Its authority continued until the establishment of the nearby Mellifont Abbey in 1143, which diminished Monasterboice’s influence somewhat. 

Monasterboice cemetery and round tower.

The tallest high cross in Ireland.

Our group at Monasterboice.