ace"> Glendalough
in the latter part of the 6th century.
Kevin travelled to Glendalough from
Hollywood, crossing the mountains via
the Wicklow Gap.
By the 8th
century, Glendalough had grown into a substantial settlement of 500-1,000
people and an important site of learning and
pilgrimage.
Monasteries were often attacked,
especially at times of disease or famine, and Glendalough's wealth made it a
frequent target for both local tribes and, later,
Norse
invaders.
The monastery declined in importance
after the arrival of the
Normans
in the 12th century and its subsequent
annexation to the
Archdiocese of
Dublin.
It was burned by the
English in 1398, although settlement there continued until the end of the 16th
century.
There are also important
early Irish church sites in the Dublin foothills of the Wicklow Mountains at
Rathmichael
and Tully.
In 1170, during the Norman invasion of Ireland,
