Glen of Imaal

The Glen of Imaal (/ˈɪmɑːl/ or /ˈiːmɑːl/; Irish: Gleann Uí Mháil) is a remote glen in the western Wicklow Mountains in Ireland. It is ringed by the Lugnaquilla massif and its foothills, including Table mountain and Keadeen. Much of the Glen is used by the Irish Army as an artillery firing range, and the many hill walkers who use the Glen are well advised to observe the times of firing practice and to refrain from picking up strange objects.

The Glen of Imaal is the subject of an eponymously titled Irish folk song, written by local musician Ian Barrett, whose musical highlight was a 4th place in the 2005 You're A Star Song Competition

It is also the place of origin of the eponymous dog breed, the Glen of Imaal Terrier.

The Glen of Imaal is named from the Uí Máil, who dominated the kingship of Leinster in the 7th century. They were ousted by the Uí Dúnlainge from the lowlands of what would be County Kildare, and from that time until the early 13th century were located along the western foothills of the Wicklow mountains. The valley appears to have been a center of their power. By the 14th century, O'Tuathail (O'Toole) (of the Uí Dunlainge) had taken the lordship of the Uí Máil, having in their turn been expelled from south Kildare by Norman incomers. Given its isolated location, it had developed a long tradition of opposition to outside centralising control.

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