Tour County Wicklow

Our port of call today was Dublin, the Republic of Ireland's capital. Once again, Tim and I are headed into the countryside, not into Dublin. It’s not that I dislike visiting cities – in fact, I’ve toured quite a few on this cruise. I just tend to enjoy the country more. Add in a famous garden, and I was sold on a tour to County Wicklow.

Our tour today almost didn’t happen. When we were selecting Viking tours, Tim and I had signed up for the Discover County Wicklow optional shore excursion. Shortly after embarking on the British Isles Explorer portion of our cruise, however, we were informed that our tour had been cancelled. We decided to wait to book another tour and play things by ear.

After several days of experiencing the pleasure of private tours, we decided to check and see what private tour options might be available in Dublin. Viatour listed a similar tour to the one we had originally booked, and we immediately signed up for it. We would have a private guide for just Tim and me, and the cost was less than the Viking tour.

Dairine Nuttall, who has been guiding tours in Dublin and the surrounding area for ten years, picked us up after we tendered to shore. It’s been interesting – we had no tender ports on our Viking Homelands cruise, while almost one-third of the British Isles Explorer ports have required tenders. No matter, it’s usually a nice ride.

Dairine had asked us beforehand about our interests and what we’d like to see, but we had done no research since we thought we’d be taking a Viking tour. Instead, we told her we loved gardens, scenic drives, historic buildings, and archeology, and she came up with a perfect tour for us.

Our first stop was Powerscourt House and Gardens, a grand estate set against the backdrop of the Wicklow Hills. The gardens have been rated as third best of the world’s top ten gardens by National Geographic. Since Tim and I love touring gardens, we were in our element here. The gardens at Powerscourt were simply amazing.

Powerscourt, Front Entrance

Our First View of the Gardens with the Wicklow Hills in the Background

Dairine gave us a tour of the gardens, as well as the history of the house, the family who lived here, and the story of the gardens. After our tour, we had ample time to wander on our own and appreciate the amazing creation that has evolved over the last 300 years.

We explored the Italian Garden, the Walled Garden, the Japanese Garden, the Dolphin Pond, the Pet Cemetery, and the various landscape features. The blend of formal gardens, sweeping terraces, ornamental lakes, and informal walks, all set against a magnificent backdrop, was sublime. I could have stayed there all day.

The Italian Garden

Upper Stone Terrace and Steps Leading to the Italian Garden

The Walled Garden

The Japanese Garden

The Dolphin Pond Surrounded by Magnificent Trees

Beautiful Flowers Throughout the Gardens

The Pet Cemetery

Tim and Sarah and Triton Lake

After tearing ourselves away from Powerscourt, we stopped for a brief visit at the Glencree Center for Peace and Reconciliation. The Center is the Republic of Ireland's only peacebuilding center and has been resolving conflict through the power of dialogue since its founding in 1974. 

There, we visited St. Kevin’s Church and Graveyard and the German Military Cemetery and learned about the long and complicated history of this site. Originally an army barracks and later St. Kevin’s Reformatory for Boys, the site became a refuge for children from Germany and Austria under Operation Shamrock in the aftermath of World War II.

St. Kevin’s Church and Graveyard

German Military Cemetery

We drove through Wicklow Mountains National Park, the largest of Ireland’s national parks, and stopped at Guinness Lake. Lough Tay, as it is correctly known, lies in a private estate in the heart of the national park and is one of the most photographed sites in County Wicklow. The lake is set amidst beautiful mountains, but I was drawn to the stunning views of the surrounding valleys.

Guinness Lake

Gorgeous Views Towards the Mountains

Spectacular Valley and Mountain Views

Making Our Way Down the Mountain

Next, we explored the valley of Glendalough, which we had likely seen from Guinness Lake. Here we visited the ruins of the monastic city founded by St. Kevin in the sixth century and wandered around the famous round tower, St. Kevin’s Church, and decorated crosses. The ruins of the once-grand stone cathedral were especially remarkable to me.

Glendalough Monastic Settlement

The Cathedral at Glendalough Monastic Settlement

We ended our visit to Glendalough by taking a stroll to the upper lake to enjoy the dramatic scenery in this deep, beautiful valley. Dairine was a wonderful guide, and I’m so glad I found her tour.

The Upper Lake at Glendalough

We arrived back at the port and boarded our tender. Elaine and the rest of our touring companions, who had spent the day in Dublin, happened to be on the same tender. What a coincidence!

Hey, We Know Those People!

Our Tender Crew Was Always Great