Did I tell you the one about Elvis Presley?
This morning, I set out on what I thought would be an ordinary Sunday morning cycle, but it turned into a journey through time—a living story that spanned thousands of years and wove together history, legend, and even a touch of rock ‘n’ roll!! My route today started at Rathgall Hillfort, one of Ireland’s most remarkable Bronze Age sites, and ended at Kilquiggan, where the ancestors of none other than Elvis Presley are said to be buried.
The Bronze Age Legacy of Rathgall
I parked up at the small car park in front of Rathgall; a handy place to reach a lot of interesting sights in this part of east Carlow and west Wicklow. The day began atop the windswept Rathgall Hillfort. Standing among the ancient stone ramparts, I couldn’t help but marvel at how 3,000 years ago, this site was bustling with life. The panoramic views stretched across the patchwork fields of Counties Carlow and Wicklow, and I imagined the people who once gathered here for trade, ritual, or defense. It was a humbling start to the journey, and as I pedalled away, I carried a sense of connection to those long-ago lives. Not far away is Moylisha Hill, with its own ancient Wedge Tomb, looking down on Rathgall.
Aghowle Church: Echoes of Early Christian Ireland
The next stop is one of my all time favourite places, Aghowle Church, nestled in serene isolation, at the bottom of a newly tarmaced lane. Take care to close the gates on arriving and leaving. Built around the 6th century, its crumbling walls stand as a testament to Ireland’s early Christian heritage. The heritage sign tells that it was founded by the great St Finnian of Clonard – but of course to us Carlovians, he is Finnian of Myshall – his birthplace. Clonard is where he founded his huge monastery and where he educated the ‘Twelve Apostles of Ireland’ – which included the great Brendan, the Navigator and Colmcille. At one point there were 3,000 students in Clonard – a University campus! The Romanesque doorway seemed to whisper stories of pilgrims and monks who prayed here over a thousand years ago. I had a short wander among the gravestones and spent some time admiring the unusual plain High Cross, with no carvings or markings on it. Most unusual. It was time to hop back onto my bike!The rolling hills of the Wicklow Way awaited, offering spectacular views as I made my way down towards the river.
Park Bridge and the Dying Cow Pub: A Step into the 18th Century
Soon I reached Park Bridge and the lovely Egans pub, which I admired from the saddle as I continued past heading onwards on my loop. The terrain was quite hilly and I was following road sections of the Wicklow Way over towards the famed Dying Cow Pub, 15 kms away its name as quirky as its charm. Legend has it that the pub’s name originated from the quick-witted landlady’s excuse to the authorities when caught serving after hours. She claimed the customers were tending to a dying cow and needed refreshments! It’s well worth a visit – it’s a tiny pub, full of memorabilia; the pub has been here for over 300 years and in the ownership of the Tallon family.
Kilquiggan: The Presley Connection
The final leg of the journey took me in the direction of Clonmore but I skirted left and headed along the side of Seskin Hill and on to Kilquiggan, where I paused by a quiet graveyard said to hold the remains of Elvis Presley’s Irish ancestors. It’s hard to reconcile the glitzy image of the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll with this peaceful corner of Wicklow, but perhaps that’s the magic of it. As I stood there, the connection between past and present felt palpable. From the Bronze Age inhabitants of Rathgall to the early Christians at Aghowle, the 18th-century revellers at the Dying Cow, and finally, the 20th-century legacy of Elvis, it felt as though history was a living, breathing thing. There’s a QR code on a sign at the entrance to the graveyard, which gives a detailed account of the Presley connection. Nearby Hacketstown also claims to be the birthplace of the Presley ancestors and there is also a connection with Stranakelly, where the Dying Cow is located. There are court reports from the 1870s of a savage beating William Presley received on land he rented in Hacketstown, possibly by the ‘Whiteboys’, a secret agrarian society which defended tenant farmers land rights… I don’t think Elvis was singing the ‘Green Green Grass of Home’ in honour of the old sod!
A Journey Through Time
The cycle home was mostly downhill, a welcome relief after the stiff enough climbs that had taken me across this historic route. As the sun peeped out fleetingly in the sky, I replayed the day in my mind, grateful for the stories embedded in the landscape. Who would have thought that a simple cycle could take me from 3000 BCE to the roots of one of the most iconic figures of modern music? There’s some iconic pubs on this route – Byrnes of Crablane, Egans of Park Bridge and The Dying Cow, all lovely places to visit if you are in the area!
Did I tell you the one about Elvis Presley? Turns out, his story isn’t just in Memphis; it’s written into the hills and valleys of Wicklow and Carlow, too.
