Crossing the Raging Vartry

I absolutely love visiting Mount Usher Gardens here in Wicklow. Usually, it is the very definition of peace. It’s a “Robinsonian” garden, designed to look as if nature just arranged itself perfectly without human interference. The River Vartry is normally the heart of that calmness, a gentle, glass-like ribbon winding through the trees.

But not today!!

I stood on the iconic suspension bridge and looked down at beautiful chaos. As you can see, the river was a total torrent, white and churning against the banks. It is amazing how quickly the character of a place changes with the Irish weather.

There is a fascinating contrast here. While the gardens are carefully curated to mimic the wild, the river decided to show us what actual wildness looks like.