25/08/2018
Introducing the Delgany History Hike! A four-hour history trek running through much of Irish History through the eyes of one town, taking in Delgany Village and the Glen of The Downs, taking place weekly on Wednesdays at 3pm based in the Horse & Hound public house.
Booking is mandatory due to limited space on each tour, please text 0868625108 or contact "Delgany History Hike" on Facebook/Instagram.
For those from further afield: accommodation available from Mary Molloy at the Horse & Hound at 0861549288.
Due to rough off-track terrain and some steep strenuous sections along parts of the walk, sturdy footwear (preferably hiking boots) is essential, and the tour is UNDERTAKEN AT YOUR OWN RISK. Useful too would be a bottle of water, perhaps a small snack and the usual likely Irish necessity of rain gear!
There will be a brief introduction inside the Horse & Hound's new Heritage Room, with complimentary tea and filter coffee kindly provided, before starting on the walk proper, with the option of pre-ordering dinner to be ready for our return at 7pm.
Hear:
• How Delgany contributed to the history of music in prehistoric times.
• How a monstrous boar of Welsh legend made Delgany its home.
• How Ireland’s first urban centres came into existence, and what traces can be seen of them today in seemingly humble surroundings.
• What a Viking king was doing in Delgany a thousand years ago, and the bloody reaction to his arrival.
• The history of a Parish from 1280 through turbulent reformation and beyond.
• The story of how a family of French refugees transformed into some of Ireland’s most influential financiers with a disposition towards philanthropy, and their relationship to one small Wicklow village.
• Stories of both brutality and mercy between neighbours in times of rebellion in 1798.
• How people from Delgany can be found in both high office in Ireland, and far flung places during a time of expanding Empire.
See:
• The shaft of an ancient High Cross with an unusual and unique inscription.
• The ruins of a 13th century castle with the visible scars of Cromwell’s campaign.
• The steep wooded slopes of Glen of the Downs, littered with remnants from the time of palatial prosperity of a notable country house.
• A small, oddly-named stream with surprising historical relevance.
• Churches, both ruined and intact, reflecting the fortunes of a parish over time.
• The traditional streetscape of Delgany and its variety of heritage buildings, from simple, vernacular cottages to schools and the headquarters of a quirky 19th century medical craze.
