St Saviour's Priory

St Saviour's Priory is a 12th-century Augustinian monastery about a kilometre east of the main monastic enclosure, along the wooded path toward Laragh. The ruins are less visited than the main site and correspondingly more peaceful. The Romanesque chancel arch and decorated stonework show a high level of craftsmanship, with interlaced carvings that are among the best surviving examples of their style in County Wicklow.

The priory was inhabited until the 15th century and has been partially restored to prevent further deterioration. The setting in the trees along the River Glendasan is lovely — quieter and more intimate than the busy lower enclosure around the round tower.

things to do sight
A story
St Saviour's was established around 1162 by St Laurence O'Toole, who would later become Archbishop of Dublin and is the patron saint of the city. O'Toole was a Glendalough monk before his elevation, and his connection to both Glendalough and Dublin made the priory an important link between the two great centres of Irish Christianity. He was canonised in 1225, fifty years after his death in Normandy.