Posted by PRUMPLESTOWN FARM
Our ancestry trail was coming to an end and the last stop was in County Kildare and Ann’s Grandfathers Family, the Wall’s who had left this farm back in 1870 to come to Australia. This was a real interesting one that opened up when we dug a bit deeper to discover that the Wall family had owned/leased the Farm which is near Castledermot for a long time and the records show that they lived at various times on the farm and in town and go way way back to around the County Cork area and even owned a castle down that way at Wallstown. It is unclear why they had to leave and which side of the political and religious divide they were on. The farm stradled two large areas Prumplestown and Johnstown with the small Lerr river running in between. it is still called Prumplestown Farm today and has a grand Manor House and is very lush all around with gates, walls and fancy name tags.
CASTLEDERMOT
Located just 5 Kms from the farm region is the local town and we stopped in and had a lovely late Breakfast at a really cool cafe called The MAD HATTER CAFE that served amazing food and great coffee so we hit a jackpot in a town that looked a bit down and out but was fortunatley on a good traffic route. Plenty of history around here and some nice restored buildings
The Berry Pancakes at The Mad Hatter were to die for
All that is left of the castle….Cromwell yes!
Love the woindow treatments and the ruined Abbey at Castledermot and yes you guessed it!
The original St James church entry and round tower from Medievial 12th century times is an amazing bit of historyand all that remains of that church which was replaced with a newer church in the 17th century.
From here we headed up the freeway and back roads to Hollywood… hmm , nothing like it but a facinating area that is full of grand Horse and cattle studs with eually grand houses. It is also the entry into the Wicklow Mountains through to Glendalough and the ancient monastic settlement.
A big part of visiting County Wicklow was to visit the Glendalough Monastic site in the mountains which i had read about in some history books on Ireland. Established in the 6th century by St Kevin as a place to retreat and solitude away from a violent world. He welcomed visitors and soon it became an Abbey and Monestary where over time its Holistic environment was recognised and revered.
It is now in ruins but mant old buildings have been restored and others left as they were. The Impressive round Tower was built as an early detection protection against Viking Raiders and due to it height they could be seen advancing up the valley towards the settlement and the monks would have time to hide the teasures and food in deep vaults and they would escape to the caves in the deep forest until the Vikings gave up and left.
Set in a valley that is feed by two pristine lakes Glendalough sits on a slight rise above the lower lake on a slight bluff that is entered from a narrow gap so its a natural hidden valley in effect and proved to be very fertile being able to support the monks and the subsequent village for almost 1,000 years
St Kevins church, the small bit being the original 7th century and then later expansions in the 12th century
The Lower lake looking towards the gap between the lake and the place where they grew their crops and vegetables/fruits.
One of the fine homes along the lower Lake shore that bhug the side of the valley walls.
The Upper (bigger) lake extending through to the base of the Wicklow Mountains with mount Camegabolouge 758m in the background. the water temperature was mild being the end of summer and there were plenty of swimmers enjoying the sun.
The cemetary has graves that are around 1,00 years old but totally unrecognisable with the carving impossible to the naked eye to read. the Wicklow Mountains are famous for the bright purple/pink heather that flowers all summer on the high ground. The Monastic site is now world heritage and its surroundings are fortunatley just so pristine despite the level of tourism.
POWERSCOURT
The Huge Palace or House as it is called was gutted by fire in 1974 and is being restored from the shell that was left behind and is now privatley run as a function centre but was once a powerful place run by the power brokers of 19th century Ireland. Built in 1741 and designed by a German architent in the Paladian style it was once one of Irelands grandest homes and its commanding position looking towards Sugarloaf Mountain and the surrounding countryside is spectacular. there are many other grand Geogian style mansions nearby as the location, just a days ride from Dublin was highly desired by the Irish nobility and emerging Merchant class with their new wealth.
The gardens are open to the public and they are stunning with a lovely Japanese garden set in a little valley next to the man made lake which features a whimsical tropical grotto that surpises and delights
We even came accross a big Tasmainian Bluegum in the gardens and the ornate gardens and gates were fabulous.
ROUNDWOOD
Just a quick overnight stay after our day at Glendalogh before heading into Dublin was great and the accommodation at the COACH HOUSE HOTEL was perfect, as was the excellent dinner and breakfast.
JOHNNIE FOX’S
On our way into Dublin we had to stop off for lunch at Jonnie Fox’s as it was highly recommended and did not disappoint. Located just 30 mins from Dublin centre in the Glencullen hills this is Ireland highest pub not far from Glendoo mountain and was the location of refuge for many rebels during the wars of independence. It is a historical museum inside and is massive with 4 bars and about 10 different dining rooms, all with their own eclectic style but with the one menu and one kitchen. it can seat up to 300 people at one time so just imagine how many covers they must do a day
Our little corner was dedicated to the beatles and every room had a bour 4 or 5 differeant themes going on at once. we had to have the fish pie and it was extraordinary and worth the visit alone .
At the entry/exit is an old poor house soup pot that is said to have fed 200 people at a time and dates from the famine years along with a memorial to the Easter rising of 1916 whuic was the final uprising that led to Independence.
