Great Irish Roads: No 4/The Wicklow Gap/R756 Laragh to Hollywood
The trouble with Wicklow is that by itself it could probably provide enough good driving roads to create its own series, so for once the question is not which roads to include, but rather which roads to leave out.
There is one road about which the question simply doesn't arise and which it would be impossible to exclude from a series such as this. It's one of the finest driving roads in the entire island of Ireland. And what a road!
One of the two main passes over the Wicklow Mountains, the road over the Wicklow Gap is dominated by the towering bulk of Tonelagee (817m). At one end of it is the valley village of Hollywood which marks the beginning of this ancient pilgrims' road where pious travellers once began their ascent of the Wicklow Mountains, crossing the Wicklow Gap to reach the holy places of the monastic settlement at Glendalough.
Today, the Gap is traversed by a superb modern road which provides a fast transit of the ancient pilgrim route. I drove it from the small village of Laragh, very much at the heart of Wicklow, situated as it is close by Glendalough and its historic landscape, at the confluence of the Glenmacnass and Avonmore Rivers.
Leaving Laragh along the Vale of the Glendasan River (which joins the other two rivers just south of the village), one soon passes the junction with the R757 leading to Glendalough. The first of several abandoned mines swings into view on the left hand side of the road as we begin to climb towards the pass itself.
Camaderry (698m) dominates the southern side of the road and soon after the artificial mound of the ESB's reservoir is visible atop Turlough Hill. By now, Tonelagee dominates the northern skyline and the road reaches the Gap itself. Parking is provided so that one can pause and admire the spectacular views over Wicklow.
The road is a revelation: fast and smooth with flowing corners which are a delight to drive, each one opening up to a new view across the beautiful landscape. What a shame an army of electricity pylons strides across that land towards Hollywood. Judging by the high number of fast motorcycles I met on this road, it's evidently also very much to the liking of the two-wheel fraternity.
Having crossed the Gap, the landscape becomes softer and more fertile, and the road drops gently down towards Hollywood through a series of bridges and finally between the twin hills of Slievecorragh and Broughills Hill positioned like a gateway at one end of this wonderful road.
Along the way, glimpses are provided of the vast Pollaphuca Reservoir which seems in complete contrast to the road, and the landscape, just traversed.
This is a road to be enjoyed, but a word of warning: already, with the arrival of some good weather, tourist traffic on the road is growing. To enjoy this road at its best, find a time when it's deserted or nearly so, and enjoy a great road as it was meant to be enjoyed, flowing as it yields up new and spectacular vistas along its entire length.
I can think of few roads I would rather drive on a clear, blue-skied, crisp morning. See you there!
This series appears fortnightly