Overview
Laragh is where many Glendalough trips begin: it has the signed car park, the bus stop and the back-road walk into the valley that the monastic city itself doesn’t. The village sits at the junction of three mountain roads, the R115, R755 and R756, where the Glenmacnass River drops down off the moor to meet the Avonmore. Sally Gap and the Glenmacnass Waterfall are to the north, Glendalough and the Wicklow Gap to the west, Glenmalure to the south. It’s small, with a couple of hundred people, a few pubs and a woollen-mill shop, but it’s a natural base for walking this corner of County Wicklow.
History & Local Character
The name is An Láithreach, ‘the site, or ruins, of a building’. Laragh’s own past is more military than monastic. It was a centre of resistance in the 1798 rebellion and home to men who fought on with Michael Dwyer in the mountains afterwards; the British answer to that is still the road you drive in on, the Old Military Road (R115), cut through the hills in the early 1800s specifically to flush rebels out of them. Laragh Castle, at the edge of the village, isn’t a castle. It was built as barracks around 1800–1805 and is now a private house. The novelist Francis Stuart lived in it for a time. St Kevin founded the monastery down the valley at Glendalough in the 6th century, and it’s that, rather than the village, that brings the crowds.
What to See & Do
From Laragh to Glendalough
Start at the signed Laragh car park and follow the Green Road into Glendalough. It’s a useful approach if you want to visit the monastic remains and continue on foot towards the lakes. The site is dominated by a round tower, a 12th-century cathedral and St Kevin’s Church, all set between two glacial lakes. For parking closer to the walks, check the national park’s car park information before choosing a starting point.
On the Wicklow Way
The Wicklow Way passes through the Laragh area, and it’s where a lot of walkers join it, but it isn’t the start. The trail, opened in 1980, runs from Marlay Park on the edge of Dublin south to Clonegal in Carlow; Laragh is a waypoint, not a trailhead. For a day walk, use the park’s maps and notices to choose a signed trail. The Spinc routes climb above the Upper Lake and need sturdy footwear. For the first stretch out of the village, take the Green Road behind the Woollen Mills rather than the main road.
Closures on the white, blue and red Spinc routes are announced on the national park’s trail closures page. Check it before setting off.
Glendalough Woollen Mills
The Woollen Mills sit at the edge of the village in a nineteenth-century mill building. The shop sells tweed, blankets and knitwear. Whether the looms still run for visitors comes and goes, so go for the shop rather than a guaranteed mill tour.
Practical Information & Visitor Tips
Getting here without a car is doable. Check the national park’s transport information for St Kevin’s Bus from Dublin and Local Link routes serving the valley. Check your last return bus before setting out, particularly if you plan to finish at a different stop. Driving, come in on the R755 from Rathdrum and use the signed car park in the village.
Laragh is a Sunday-morning gathering point for motorcyclists and road cyclists, who meet here before the run over The Gap (the R756) to Rathdrum. It’s part of the buzz if you want it, and worth avoiding if you don’t. Weather in the valley turns fast, so bring waterproofs and proper footwear year-round. Keep dogs on leads throughout the national park.
Nearby Attractions
- Avondale: A short drive north, Avondale Forest Park and House combine woodland trails with historic estate grounds. The nearby “Meeting of the Waters” is a notable natural feature where the Avonmore and Avonbeg rivers converge.
- Blessington: The town of Blessington and its twin lakes offer sailing, fishing, and a paved lakeside promenade, providing a relaxed alternative to mountain hiking.
Laragh works best when visited early in the day, before the midday crowds arrive at Glendalough, when the trails and the monastic ruins are quieter.