Devil's Glen

The Devil's Glen was once part of the Glanmore Estate, home of John Millington Synge. The woods are on the side of a deep gorge through which the Vartry River flows from west to east towards Ashford village.These are old woods with a mixture of deciduous (beech, chestnut and ash) and coniferous trees. Wildlife includes squirrel, fox, badger, otter and Sika deer.

This walk starts from the forest entrance and provides views over the dramatic Vartry River which has eked out the gorge since the retreat of the ice sheet at the end of the last Ice Age. The trail provides a moderate walk but there are steep sections. As we descend into the gorge there is ample opportunity to appreciate the steep sides of the a "young" (in geological terms) valley. As the trail eventually reaches the valley floor you will eventually come to a sharp bend where the Waterfall Walk doubles back on itself. A short diversion from the loop will bring us to the waterfall, The Devil's Punchball.

The waterfall is one of the main highlights of the walk. The waterfall marks the spot where the Vartry enters the Devil's Glen en route to the sea. Prior to the construction of the Vartry Reservoir (1860's) the roar from the waterfall was much greater than it is today. Its echo through the gorge sounded as a "Satanic power announcing some great doom" and gave the glen its popular name. The waterfall and the site in general proved to be a major tourist attraction in Victorian times.

We will walk along the Seamus Heaney Walk, so named in honour of the poet and Nobel Prize winner for Literature, Seamus Heaney. It was formerly known as "The Upland Walk". Highlights include the views over the surrounding countryside, diverse woodland cover, history and Sculpture in Woodland pieces.

The Seamus Heaney Walk will take us through a diverse mixture of open space and mixed woodland. Many of the tree species in the area have been introduced to Ireland from different parts of the world, primarily as important timber production trees. These include: Sitka spruce, western red cedar, lodge pole pine, western hemlock, and Douglas fir from North America; Norway spruce, silver fir , beech and sycamore from Europe; the larches from Japan and Europe. You will see a number of native trees including ash, sessile oak, Scots pine, silver birch, and holly, which colonised Ireland after the last Ice Age about 10,000 years ago.

As we continue along the walk, we will get an opportunity to see the magnificent Glanmore Castle, seat of John Millington Synge's family until the 1930's. Synge (1871 - 1909) was one of Ireland's most influential playwrights and a leading figure of the Irish Literary Revival. This upper stretch of the walk runs beneath a hilltop, which represents one of the highest points of the glen. Dramatic views towards the Irish Sea can be gleaned here and it is easy to imagine insurgents from the 1798 Rebellion using this vantage point when they took refuge in the glen.

• Length: 14 Km. allow 4-5 hours
• Grade: Moderate.
• Conditions: Good forest tracks and paths.
• Features: Walking Trails, Waymarked Trails, Viewing Points, Sculptures, Waterfall, Picnic Sites, Exotic Trees
• Forest walks map: http://bit.ly/DevilsGlen-Walks

SCULPTURE IN WOODLANDS
Devil's Glen hosts the permanent Sculpture in Woodland exhibition that has some interesting pieces of 'art' in the woodland space. Sculpture in Woodland is situated in the surroundings of the Devil's Glen Wood and features a unique collection of contemporary sculpture by Irish and international artists. The weather has not been kind to some of the exhibits.

The project was formed in 1994 with the aim of creating a greater awareness of wood as an artistic and functional medium. Creative artists are facilitated in responding in new ways to the natural environment; in return the artists give the community a rich and diverse range of work, situated in an environment that is very different to a traditional gallery space.

HOW TO GET TO THE DEVIL'S GLEN
Take the N11 heading south from Dublin or north from Wexford and exit at Ashford . At the roundabout in Ashford village, follow the signs for Sculpture in Woodland. In all, the entrance to the glen is about 4km from Ashford.