Dublin · Wicklow Mountains and Glendalough

A 99 km loop from Sally Gap

Open this ride in the planner →

Why this ride

Bog road light, ancient stones and a close-to-city classic. A 99 km loop that starts and ends near Blessington, about 1 h 54 of riding. It goes by way of Glendalough and Laragh. Wicklow Gap is the high point. The passes are the reason to go.

Roadbook

1. Sally Gap start · 495 m

   Sally Gap is a bleak crossroads in the middle of the Wicklow Mountains, about 495 metres above sea level, where the road from Dublin meets the one running across the hills from Glendalough to Roundwood. There is nothing there but a signpost, a sheep or two on the tarmac and a view of huge, rolling bog under a sky that seems to change every ten minutes. It is the sort of place that feels at the edge of the world, although the centre of Dublin is only about forty minutes away.

   The road itself, the Military Road, was built in the early nineteenth century after the 1798 rebellion, when the British wanted to open up the hills where rebels had been hiding. It runs south from the village of Glencree along the flank of Kippure, and you pass the Glencree valley, once home to a barracks. Near the gap, you can look down on Lough Tay, a dark lake in a steep-sided bowl that is nicknamed the Guinness Lake, thanks to the pale sand on one shore and the peaty black water, and it is part of the Luggala estate owned by the Guinness family. The River Liffey rises on the slopes of Kippure close by and begins its long run to Dublin Bay.

   The surface is generally good, with long views, easy sweeping bends and a few dips, but there is no shelter, and wind and fog can arrive without warning. Sheep wander on the road at will, so slow down, particularly on blind crests. In winter, ice and snow can close the road. In summer, weekends bring a steady stream of cyclists, walkers and cars, and the best time to ride is early morning or on a weekday evening.

   Enniskerry and Bray lie to the north, and Roundwood to the south has a few shops and pubs. The hills are part of Wicklow Mountains National Park, with heather, blanket bog and a surprising number of red grouse, and the view back down to the lowlands on a clear day is worth the climb.

2. Wicklow Gap pass

   The Wicklow Gap is Ireland's idea of a mountain pass, which is to say it is modest in height and enormous in mood. The road climbs out of the Glendasan valley onto bare, peat-brown moorland, with the long shoulders of the Wicklow Mountains rolling away on either side, and at the top the world opens into a high, empty bowl of heather, grass, and wind. Clouds move across it fast, and on a grey day the whole scene has a Scandinavian bleakness that is hard to match elsewhere in the country.

   The mountains here are granite, and they are among the oldest in Ireland, shaped by ice and worn smooth. The valley below the gap holds Lough Nahanagan, a dark glacial tarn, and beyond it lies Glendalough, the monastic city founded by Saint Kevin in the sixth century. Its round tower and ruined churches stand beside two lakes in a wooded glen, and they are among the most evocative early Christian sites in Europe. On the hillside at Turlough, a pumped storage power station uses a reservoir that sits on the top of a mountain, an odd piece of engineering in an otherwise wild landscape.

   The riding on the R756 is a pleasure when the weather behaves. The climb from the Glendalough side is steady, with bends that tighten and open and a surface that has improved in recent years, though frost and water can leave patches. The descent toward Hollywood and the Blessington lakes is longer and straighter, with fine views over the reservoirs. Sheep wander across the road, and fog can arrive in minutes, so keep your speed under control and your visor clean. Weekend traffic includes cyclists and walkers, particularly in summer.

   Blessington, about seventeen kilometres to the north-east, is the nearest sizeable town with stations and shops, and Rathdrum and Valleymount are smaller places in the area. Carry a waterproof layer whatever the forecast, because wind and rain are likely, and a hot drink in Laragh or Glendalough before or after the pass is an excellent idea. Late spring and early autumn are the best seasons, with clearer light and fewer crowds. In winter, snow and ice make the gap treacherous, and it is sometimes closed.

3. Glendalough sight

   Glendalough, the valley of two lakes, is a hollow gouged out by a glacier in the Wicklow Mountains, with a pair of dark, still lakes between steep, wooded slopes, and at its foot a ruined monastic city that is one of the most important in Ireland. The place feels sheltered and still, and the stone ruins look as if they have grown from the hillside. It is only about an hour from Dublin, so it is also one of the busiest places in the country on a fine summer weekend.

   The monastery was founded in the sixth century by Saint Kevin, who is said to have lived here as a hermit before followers gathered around him, and for centuries it was a centre of learning, with students coming from across Europe. The great round tower, about thirty metres high and still standing, was a bell tower and refuge in times of attack. Around it are a ruined cathedral, a small church with a chimney-like belfry known as Saint Kevin's Kitchen, and an old graveyard with Celtic crosses. Vikings raided the monastery several times, and it was finally ruined by English forces in the fourteenth century.

   The best riding in the area comes with the roads that lead to it. The Wicklow Gap road climbs from the valley over a bleak moorland pass with wide views, while the Military Road, built by the British after the 1798 rebellion to flush out rebels from the hills, crosses wild bogland past Sally Gap, with long straights and open curves. The surface can be rough in places, and sheep wander freely on the unfenced stretches. Weather changes quickly, with mist and rain common, and the high ground can be cold even in summer.

   The visitor centre has a cafe, and there are pubs and tearooms in Laragh serving hot food. The main car park charges a fee and fills up fast, so aim to arrive before ten in the morning, or in the late afternoon, when the crowds thin and the lakes are quiet.

4. Laragh food stop

   Laragh is a small village in the heart of the Wicklow Mountains, at the junction of several valleys, and a natural place to stop for a meal. It sits a short distance from Glendalough, the Glen of the Two Lakes, where Saint Kevin founded a monastery in the sixth century. The remains are still there: a tall round tower, about thirty metres high, a roofless cathedral, small stone churches and a graveyard of Celtic crosses, all set beside dark lakes under steep, wooded slopes. For centuries, it was one of the great pilgrimage sites of Ireland, and in good weather it is still a gentle and moving place to walk.

   For food, Laragh has a handful of pubs and cafés, and the habit of the place is to eat hearty. Expect a bowl of soup, brown bread, a toasted sandwich and a pot of tea, or something heavier with a pint. In summer, tables fill early and the car park overflows, so aim for a weekday and a mid-morning arrival. In winter, the place is quiet and the fires are lit.

   The riding around Laragh is some of the best in eastern Ireland. The Wicklow Gap road climbs west from the valley to a high, bare saddle at roughly 480 metres, where heather moor, bog and grey rock stretch away on either side, and the bends are open and flowing. To the north, the Military Road, built by the British after the 1798 rebellion to flush out rebels hiding in the hills, runs along the high moorland past Sally Gap, with long straights, big views and sheep wandering across the tarmac. The surface can be rough in places, with frost damage and gravel, and the weather is wet and changeable, with low cloud and sudden showers. Fog can close in quickly on the high ground. Traffic is heavy on summer weekends and calm during the week.

   The mountains are the largest upland area in Ireland, a granite massif with peat bogs, deer, and a national park. The smell of turf smoke and wet heather is part of the experience.

   For fuel, do not rely on Laragh. Rathdrum, about ten kilometres away, and Wicklow town, a bit farther, have petrol stations, and it is safest to fill up there before heading into the hills. Eat well, wear a waterproof, and go up the gap in the afternoon light.

5. Back to Sally Gap finish · 495 m

   Back at Sally Gap. That is the ride.

Where this sits

Rides near here