Glencree Valley awaits, a place where nature’s beauty intertwines with echoes of the past. Glencree is located in the Wicklow Mountains. It is not far from Dublin. The River Dargle flows through Glencree. It rises to about 400 metres high. Enniskerry sits at the valley’s foot.
In medieval times, Glencree was a royal forest. Oak trees grew here. Sir Thomas Fitzadam was appointed Royal Forester in 1219.
The British Army built a military road in the early 19th century. It was used to hunt down United Irishmen guerrillas after the 1798 Rebellion. A barracks was built in Glencree in 1806. The British Army vacated it in 1815 after the Napoleonic Wars ended.
The barracks became St Kevin’s Reformatory in 1858. The Oblates of Mary Immaculate operated it. Boys were housed in the rear building. Some boys tried to escape to Dublin. Shane Bodkin died in 1878 trying to leave the school. The reformatory closed in 1940.
From 1945 to 1950, the Irish Red Cross and French Sisters of Charity cared for war orphans here. They came from Germany and Poland under Operation Shamrock.
The Glencree Centre for Peace and Reconciliation opened in 1975. It fosters better relations in Northern Ireland. Today, it runs programs for people from global conflict zones. These include youth, women, and ex-combatants. The centre provides training in mediation and conflict resolution. It hosts a summer school each year.
Glencree German War Cemetery was dedicated on July 9, 1961. There are 134 graves. Most are Luftwaffe or Kriegsmarine personnel. Some are unidentified. Six are from World War I. Forty-six were civilian detainees. Their ship was torpedoed by a German U-boat in 1940. Dr Hermann Görtz, a spy, is also buried here.
Beside the German Cemetery, you can find a Mass rock. A narrow riverside path leads to it.
There is a grotto dedicated to Our Lady of Reconciliation. It stands by the Glencree River.
Glencree’s mountains are popular for walking. The Wicklow Way trail uses part of Glencree Valley. Glencree has been featured in films like “Casino Royale” and “The First Great Train Robbery”.
Glencree Valley offers wooded hillsides and nature. Glencree is a place of beauty and reflection. It is a testament to resilience and the pursuit of peace.