• Terry And Randy ClarkeIrelandTraveler
    When we first got off the motorway we did have two full lanes.
    Even heading into the Wicklow Mountains we still had a bit of room.The landscape was continually changing. It was really windy too.Many parts of the Old Military Road were very narrow. Meeting oncoming traffic was crazy.The colours were spectacular.Unfortunately there were few places to pull over so most of the pictures were through the window.The wooded areas were lush and green.So much beauty.Coming to the end of The Old Military Road.Back to civilizationThe first place we could pull over. We all enjoyed a short break.Glendalough was our next stop. There were some impressive ruins.This was the chapel. The roof was stone, it was amazing to think how long it has stood up.These ferns were growing out of the walls of the chapel.The monks who built this in 1200 AD used this tower for protection.On our final leg to Graiguenamanagh, still narrow winding roads for a long way.2We made it to our pretty little house, wow that was an incredible drive.

    The First Epic Drive

    September 14, 2024 in Ireland ⋅ ☁️ 13 °C

    Our destination today was less than two hours if we took the motorways, but where's the fun in that. The Old Military Road wound through the Wicklow Mountains through Sally's Gap and was said to be one of the most scenic drives in Ireland. What could have been an hour and a half drive turned into four and a half hours, but oh, what a drive. Our compact SUV was really working hard to climb some of the inclines, but its compact size was a blessing on the narrow winding roads. The scenery ranged from fertile farmland to fields of heather to windswept barren land to green wild forests. We thought we saw all four sides of the Wicklow Mountains, and I was asked a few times if I was taking them in circles. We'll there was one time I did have us going the wrong way but only for about five minutes. Randy did an amazing job as always. Once we arrived in Glendalough, we thought the best of the drive was behind us, but definitely not so. We wandered around the ruins of the Church and Abbey, then headed southwest for our final destination, Graiguenamanagh. The roads were just as breathtaking for the rest of the journey. We were very happy when we met our host Mary out front of The Weavers Cottage on High St.Read more