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Northwest of Glendalough, the main road takes you over the Wicklow Gap, whence there's a tolerably tough climb up to the top of Tonelagee (2677ft), and beyond here there's the option of following the R756 west out of the mountains towards Blessington. South and west of Glendalough, the country rises, becoming wilder and more desolate, dominated by Lugnaquillia , the highest mountain in the Wicklow range at 3039ft. The military road offers a scenic route continuing southwest from Laragh; experienced walkers and map-readers have the option of trekking to the head of Glendalough, through the forest and down into the next glen. Whether on foot or by car, you'll arrive in dark and lonely GLENMALURE , half of which is off limits as an army firing range. Perhaps appropriately, Glenmalure was the scene of a decisive victory by the Wicklow Irish under Fiach MacHugh O'Byrne over the English under Elizabeth I. One of the 1798 barracks, now ruined, stands at the point where the military road hits the glen. It's a symbol of decay that somehow sets the tone for the entire valley, with its enclosed, mysterious feel and steep scree sides which scarcely afford a foothold to the heather. The road eventually peters out in a car park, but a track continues up to the extremely basic An Oige Glenmalure youth hostel (June-Aug daily; Sept-May Fri & Sat only; book through the Dublin office tel 01/830 4555), which stands at the head of the valley just above the point where the river rushes over a weir. With no other buildings in sight, it's an unspoilt setting. From here it's possible to follow a track further up the valley, over the Table Mountain, and down into the Glen of Imaal. By comparison with Glenmalure, the Glen of Imaal is almost inviting. Again, it's dominated by the impressive summit of Lugnaquillia, and, likewise, half of it is reserved as an army shooting range. Altogether, it's as wild and desolate as you could wish for, though more open and lighter than Glenmalure. There's an An Oige youth hostel at BALLINCLEA (closed Dec-Feb; tel 045/404657), just over two miles southeast of Donard. At DERRYNAMUCK , on the southeast side of the valley, stands a cottage where Michael O'Dwyer, one of the last insurgents of 1798, took refuge when trapped by the British, and subsequently escaped because Samuel McAllister drew the enemy's fire and died in his place. It's now run as a folk museum : the Dwyer McAllister Cottage (mid-June to mid-Sept daily 2-6pm; free).
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