St. Kevin’s Way

St. Kevin's Way is a 26 km one-way linear walk from Hollywood to Glendalough, following an old pilgrimage road across the hills rather than looping back to your car. Plan on a full day, roughly 10 hours of walking, with about 580 m of ascent.

The arc of the day is the point: farmland and forest roads early, wind-open high ground in the middle, then a river-side descent that ends at Glendalough's monastic settlement.

• Start at the signed trail head near St Kevin's Church, just off the R756 at Hollywood.
• Follow the waymarking to Ballinagee Bridge, then climb through forest and open upland toward Wicklow Gap.
• Descend beside the Glendasan River into Glendalough, finishing at the monastic settlement and visitor facilities.

Rated strenuous, mostly for sustained distance and time on foot rather than technical ground. Surfaces change constantly: minor and public roads, forest roads and tracks, dirt and gravel path, and stretches of open mountain and boggy ground. Sections of the original pilgrimage road flagstones are still visible underfoot.

Elevation along the route runs from about 153 m to 476 m, starting near 175 m, rolling through the 200s, then building to the high point before the long drop into Glendalough.

• Waymarking is a yellow walking pilgrim symbol and arrow on black posts; know the marker before you set off.
• The upland middle section is genuinely exposed, and mountain conditions change fast.
• There is road walking to manage, so stay visible and alert to traffic.
• A bridge and stream crossing on the route can be impassable at high water, so build in a turnaround plan if levels are up.

This is a linear walk, so sort transport before anything else. No public transport to Hollywood was identified, so plan on arranging your own travel to the start and away from the finish, whether that is a car drop-off, a lift, or a booked transfer. The start is realistically reached via the R756, and the Glendalough finish has visitor facilities.

Dogs are not allowed on the route. It crosses farmland, and the trail guidance is explicit about not entering farmland with dogs.

For a marked day loop out of Glendalough with a more straightforward setup, the shorter Spinc loop is a good alternative. If you want a longer point-to-point line instead, the Wicklow Way is a multi-day option.