Wicklow in a Nutshell: 10 Key Facts

Known as the “Garden of Ireland”. County Wicklow is famed for its scenic beauty, combining mountains, glens, lakes, rivers, and landscaped estates, and is widely regarded as one of Ireland’s most scenic regions.
The Wicklow Mountains dominate the landscape. The Wicklow Mountains form the largest continuous upland area in Ireland and are protected as Wicklow Mountains National Park, offering dramatic scenery, walking routes, and panoramic views.
Sally Gap and the Military Road. The Military Road was constructed after the 1798 Rebellion to control the mountains, passing through the Sally Gap, one of the most striking high mountain passes in Ireland.
Glencree and layered modern history. Glencree served as a military barracks, later a reformatory school, a refugee centre for German children after World War II, and today is an internationally recognised centre for peace and reconciliation.
Lough Tay, the “Guinness Lake”. Lough Tay lies dramatically below the cliffs of Luggala and is often called the Guinness Lake due to its dark waters and pale sandy shore, with strong visual links to the Guinness family estate.
Film and television landscapes. Wicklow has featured in numerous productions, including Vikings at Lough Tay and the romantic film location known as the P.S. I Love You bridge, reinforcing its reputation as Ireland’s “Hollywood”.
Glendalough, a major early Christian site. Founded in the 6th century by St. Kevin, Glendalough became one of Ireland’s most important monastic settlements and remains a place of pilgrimage, archaeology, and natural beauty.
Iconic monastic architecture at Glendalough. The site includes a well preserved round tower, early stone churches, St. Kevin’s Church or “Kitchen”, crosses, gateways, and a cathedral dating mainly from the 10th to 12th centuries.
Powerscourt Estate and Gardens. Powerscourt began as a medieval castle before evolving into a grand Palladian mansion in the 18th century, surrounded by internationally renowned gardens and views towards the Sugar Loaf.
Avoca and Ireland’s textile heritage. Avoca is home to Avoca Woollen Mills, one of the oldest continuously operating woollen mills in the world, representing Wicklow’s long tradition of craft, industry, and rural life.

Lough Tay was used as a filming location for the television series Vikings

Historic and Scenic Highlights of County Wicklow

Glencree

Survivors of the 1798 Rebellion sought refuge in the surrounding mountains.
Construction of the Military Road began in 1800.
Glencree Barracks was designed to accommodate a captain and 100 soldiers.
The Oblates of Mary Immaculate (OMI) established St. Kevin’s Reformatory School here in 1858 and rebuilt the property to house more than 300 boys. The reformatory closed in 1940.
From 1945 to 1950, following the end of World War II, Glencree operated as a refugee centre for German children under the auspices of the Irish Red Cross.
Since 1974, Glencree has been engaged in practical peacebuilding and reconciliation work in Ireland and, more recently, internationally.

Glendalough

Founded in the 6th century by St. Kevin.
Following the Anglo-Norman invasion, ecclesiastical authority moved to Dublin in 1214, and the Diocese of Glendalough was absorbed into the Diocese of Dublin.
The destruction of Glendalough by English forces in 1398 left the settlement largely in ruins, though it continued as a local church and place of pilgrimage.
The surviving ruins mainly date from the 10th to the 12th centuries.
The Gateway was originally two storeys high and featured two fine granite arches.
The cross-inscribed stone marked the sanctuary boundary, denoting the area of refuge.
The Round Tower
- Built of mica-slate interspersed with granite and standing approximately 100 feet (30 metres) high.
- The conical roof was rebuilt in 1876 using the original stones.
- The tower originally contained six timber floors connected by ladders.
- The four storeys above entrance level are each lit by a single window, while the top storey has four windows aligned with the cardinal compass points.
The Cathedral
- The large mica-slate stones visible up to the height of the square-headed west doorway were reused from an earlier, smaller church.
- The chancel and sacristy date from the late 12th century.
St. Kevin’s Cross, an early granite cross with an unpierced ring.
St. Kevin’s Church or “Kitchen”
- The steep roof, formed of overlapping stones, is supported internally by a semi-circular vault.
- Access to the croft or roof chamber was through a rectangular opening towards the western end of the vault.
- The church also featured a timber first floor.
- The belfry, with its conical cap and four small windows, rises from the west end of the stone roof in the form of a miniature round tower.

Powerscourt

Originally a 13th century medieval castle, owned by the Le Power family, from which the name “Powerscourt” is derived.
In 1603, Richard Wingfield was granted Powerscourt Castle and its lands by Queen Elizabeth I as a reward for his military service.
In 1730, the Viscount Powerscourt commissioned the architect Richard Castle to design Powerscourt House, a 68 room mansion completed in 1741.
The mansion was designed around the medieval castle in the Palladian style, inspired by the formal classical architecture of ancient Greece and Rome.
In November 1974, a fire caused extensive damage to Powerscourt House.

The bridge at Sally Gap featured in the film 'P.S. I Love You'.

Athgreany Stone Circle

Áth Gréine, meaning “Field of the Sun”.
A stone circle of 14 granite stones dating to the late Bronze Age (1400–500 BCE).
Locally known as the Piper’s Stones, measuring approximately 23 metres in diameter.
An outlier stone, known as the Piper, stands about 30 metres to the north east.
According to local legend, the dancers and the piper were turned to stone for dancing on the Sabbath.

Castleruddery Stone Circle

Dating from the late Bronze Age (1400–500 BCE).
An embanked stone circle consisting of 40 stones, measuring approximately 30 metres in diameter.
Two white quartz portal stones, each weighing around 15 tons.
Surrounded by an earthen bank approximately 1.2 metres high.

Immerse yourself in the rich heritage and culture of the Boyne Valley with our full day private tours. Visit the Brú na Bóinne World Heritage Site, home to the great Neolithic monuments of Newgrange and Knowth, renowned for their remarkable stone art and their alignment with the solar cycle. Explore the Hill of Slane, where Saint Patrick is said to have lit the Paschal fire, and discover the Hill of Tara, the ancient ceremonial seat of the High Kings of Ireland.

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Your tour can also include other outstanding Boyne Valley sites such as the Neolithic passage tomb of Fourknocks, Monasterboice with its celebrated high crosses, medieval Trim Castle, or the peaceful ruins of Mellifont Abbey, Ireland’s first Cistercian monastery. Each itinerary is tailored to your interests, allowing you to experience the archaeology, landscape, and layered history of the Boyne Valley at a relaxed and personal pace.

The tri spiral engraving in the chamber at Newgrange is one of the most iconic and sophisticated examples of prehistoric art in Europe. Carved into a large stone in the right hand recess of the cruciform chamber, the design consists of three interlinked spirals. The lines are deeply and deliberately engraved, creating a sense of movement and balance that draws the eye inward. Despite being over 5,000 years old, the carving is remarkably precise, showing a strong understanding of symmetry, rhythm, and visual harmony.

The meaning of the tri spiral remains open to interpretation, which adds to its power and fascination. Some believe it may be connected to cycles of time, such as the movement of the sun, the changing seasons, or concepts of life, death, and rebirth. Others see connections to the Winter Solstice, when sunlight penetrates the passage and illuminates the chamber, reinforcing ideas of renewal and cosmic order. Whatever its original purpose, the tri spiral stands as a clear statement that Newgrange was not just an architectural achievement, but also a deeply symbolic and ceremonial place for the people who built it.