Saint Kevin's Way facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Saint Kevin's Way |
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Saint Kevin's Way waymarker, Wicklow Gap
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| Length | 30 kilometres (19 miles) |
| Location | County Wicklow, Ireland |
| Designation | Pilgrim Path |
| Trailheads | Hollywood Valleymount Glendalough |
| Use | Hiking |
| Elevation gain/loss | 580 m (1,903 ft) |
| Difficulty | Moderate |
| Season | Any |
| Surface | Roads, forest paths and tracks |
The Saint Kevin's Way (also called Slí Chaoimhin in Irish) is a special walking trail in County Wicklow, Ireland. It's a "pilgrim path," which means people have walked it for a very long time for spiritual reasons.
This path is about 30 kilometers (18.6 miles) long. It starts in a village called Hollywood. From there, it goes across the Wicklow Gap. The journey finishes at the old monastery in Glendalough. These monastery ruins are from the Middle Ages, a long time ago!
There's also another way to start the trail. It begins in Valleymount and connects to the main path at Ballinagee Bridge. Most people walk the entire Saint Kevin's Way in just one day.
Discover Saint Kevin's Way
Following in Saint Kevin's Footsteps
The Saint Kevin's Way trail lets you walk where Saint Kevin once walked. He was a very important person in Irish history. In the 6th century, he traveled across the Wicklow Mountains. He then founded the famous monastery at Glendalough.
Over time, this journey became a popular route. Many people made a pilgrimage to Glendalough. They followed this path to visit the holy site. Today, it's one of several old pilgrim paths. These paths have been turned into walking trails by the Heritage Council.
The Pilgrim Passport Adventure
In 2016, Saint Kevin's Way became part of something new. It joined the National Pilgrim Passport for Ireland. This passport is a fun way to explore Ireland's history. It lets you walk 125 kilometers (about 77 miles) of medieval pilgrim paths.
As you finish each path, you can get your passport stamped. Once you complete all five paths, you earn a special certificate. It's called the Irish Pilgrim Paths completion certificate (Teastas Oilithreachta). You can get it from Ballintubber Abbey in County Mayo.
The four other routes in the Pilgrim Passport are:
- Tochar Phádraig in Mayo
- Cosán na Naomh in Kerry
- Cnoc na dTobar in Kerry
- St. Finbarr's Pilgrim Path in Cork
