Kylemore Travel Guide

1 more image

This church does not impress with its size or high naves but its details. Its is highly decorated but in a way that it does not feel overloaded. It's simply charming. Mr. Henry built it for the memory of his beloved wife. More detailed description on Abbeys website.

Margaret Henry sadly died in Egypt, in 1874, just three years after the completion of the Castle. Her remains were brought back to Kylemore and laid to rest in the Mausoleum on the grounds.

1 more image

mitchell Henry built the Gothic Church beween 1877 and 1881 as a memorial to his wife. The Church is a "Cathedral in Miniature", complete with a crypt, projecting corner buttresses and carved angelic gargoyles. The interior is embellished with a variety of Irish marble columns. The columns support the gothic arces of the decorative caen stone ceiling. In the south transept, a beautiful stained glass tracery window depicts the five graces; Fortitude, Faith, Charity, Hope and Castity. The Church is a centre of reflection and prayer for many visitors.

The Victorian Walled Garden, situated 1.6 km from the Abbey, is 3.4 hectares in extent, 2.4 hectares of which are completely enclosed by a brick and limestone wall. The garden was constructed at the same time at the Castle and was laid out by the bead gardener, James Garnier. The glasshouses were designed by Cranstons of Birmingham. These cold be walked through from end to end and acted as a winter garden form the ladies on wet days. The garden provided the flowers, fruits and vegetables for the Henry family. However, under the ownership of the Duke and Duchess of Manchester and Ernest Fawke, it wnte into decline. The Nuns reemployed a Head Gardener until the 1940s. In the 1950s, Sr Benedict took charge and kept the garden working for as long as was financially possible.

In time, the flower garden became a wilderness and the glasshouse collapsed, leaving only their brick base. The Garden, which is still under retoration, was re-opened by the nuns in 2000.

Its a wonderful example of Victorian Walled Garden

The main hallway and three reception rooms have been restored and are open to the public. The remainder of the Abbey is home to the Community of Nuns and the International Boarding School.

The exterior of the Abbey building is granite. The walls are castellated and five embattled towers rise from the east, west and centre of the building. There is also a bell tower on the rear. Under the oriel window in the centre of the building is a shield bearing the Henry Coat of Arms. On either side of the doorway is a set of three Peterhead granite columns with carved stone capitals. Inside the door there is a frontispiece with the inscription "Pax-Peace", this is the motto of the order of St. Benedict.

Kylemore Castle was built by Mitchell and Margaret Henry and took four years to complete (1867-1871). Mitchell had inherited a fortune from his father, a Manchester cotton merchant, and used the money to construct a magnificent Castle, complete with gardens, walks and woodlands, ant to develop the 13.000 acre Kylemore Estate. The Henrys had nine children and enjoyed a happy and carefree life at Kylemore up until Margaret?s untimely death in 1874. Following this, Mitchell dedicated his life to his family, his tenants and his political career. His reputation as a good landlord was renowned and helped to win him a seat in the House of Commons, where he represented County Galway for fourteen years.

In 1903, Mitchell sold Kylemore Castle to the Duke and Duchess of Manchester. They lived a lavish lifestyle financed by the Duchess? wealthy father, the American businessman, Eugene Zimmerman. On the death of Zimmeman in 1914, the Castle was taken over by Ernest Fawke, a London banker, who installed a caretaker and land agent. In 1920, the nuns purchased Kylemore Castle and 10.000 acres for a little over 45.000 pounds. The lands were later purchased by the Land Commission and divided out among the tenants, and the Castle was converted into a Abbey