Glenmalure 4.44

Glenmalure is a U-shaped glacial valley in the Wicklow Mountains in Ireland. It may be reached by the Military Road from Laragh which joins the valley at Glenmalure Cross Roads.South of this junction on the road to Rathdangan and Aughrim lies the ruin of Glenmalure Barracks, built by the British army to try capture rebels after the 1798 rebellion.Historically, Glenmalure contained the stronghold of the Gabhail Raghnal branch of the O'Byrne clan at Balinacor. It was the site of the Battle of Glenmalure in 1580, when an English force unsuccessfully tried to take Balinacor, home of the rebel chieftain Fiach MacHugh O'Byrne. It was the worst defeat suffered by an English army in Ireland: they were completely routed with losses of between 500 and 1,000 officers and men, including Sir Peter Carew the younger. A boulder near the Military Road crossroads is carved with an inscription commemorating Fiach MacHugh on one side and Michael Dwyer on the other side.Glenmalure remains a remote location. It contains a youth hostel and is a popular site for camping. It is close to an Irish Army artillery range in the Glen of Imaal. It has some ruined forts in the forest, as points of interest. It is a popular starting point for hikers interested in climbing Lugnaquilla.