Knocknagun rises on the north side of the Glencree Valley in Wicklow. and is distinguished by the large rock that sits near its summit. Travelling along the military road, the massive tor is highly visible on the otherwise featureless bog. However the hill also shelters a remarkably different piece of Irish history that is unique in all the land.

The western shoulder of Knocknagun sweeps down to meet the flank of Kippure above the hamlet of Glencree. This little settlement is home to the unique German Military Cemetery, which is situated in an old landscaped quarry. Under the exposed granite rock face sit several rows of crosses and plaques commemorating those German citizens who lost their lives in Ireland during World Wars I and II.

Although neutral, Ireland did not escape the effects of the military action during the wars. Several German military aircraft crashed here. These were due to poor weather, damage sustained over England, lack of fuel or navigational errors. Many German naval personnel were also found washed up around the country. In a sad twist of fate, the graveyard also contains the bodies of 46 German civilians who were being shipped from England to Canada for internment when their ship, the Arandora Star, was torpedoed by a German U-boat off Tory Island in Donegal in 1940. The graveyard also contains 6 soldiers from the First World War. They died while prisoners in a British prisoner of war camp located in Ireland.

Dr. Hermann Gortz is also buried at Glencree. As a spy, Gortz parachuted into County Meath in 1940. His mission was to enlist the IRA’s assistance during a potential German invasion of Britain. He was eventually arrested in possession of files on possible military targets in Ireland, as well as information on "Plan Kathleen". This was an IRA plan for the invasion of Northern Ireland with the support of the German military. Görtz was interned until the end of the war. When he was paroled in 1947 he was informed he would be deported to Soviet Germany. Terrified, he swallowed a cyanide capsule. He was buried in a Dublin cemetery, and in 1974 his remains were transferred to Glencree

In total there are 134 Germans buried in the Cemetery. This includes 81 naval and air service men, of whom the identities of only fifty three are known. The Cemetery is situated next to a rushing stream, which provides an atmospheric backdrop to the aura of this solemn and peaceful place. So if you are unfamiliar with this area and you happen to be walking along Knocknagun why not take the time to visit this quiet little corner of Irish history. A poem by Stan O Brien says it all:

“It was for me to die
.
Under an Irish sky

There finding berth

Under good Irish earth.

What I dreamed and planned

Bound me to my Fatherland.

But War sent me

To sleep in Glencree.

Passion and pain

Were my loss-my gain:

Pray, as you pass

To make Good my loss”
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