Kylemore Abbey

The rainy day did hamper our exploration of the Connemara peninsula.  It was overcast with wind driven rain off and on all day.  I’d wanted to explore Connemara National Park…but it was just too nasty outside.

So we focused on a tourist attraction that offered some shelter from the elements.  This is Kylemore Abbey as viewed from across Kylemore Lough/Lake.  As you can see, preservation work was underway on part of the abbey.  It was just wrapped up a couple of weeks before this posting.

  

Here’s a closer view of the part of the abbey that wasn’t undergoing preservation efforts.  

This is a massive structure, covering over 40,000 square feet.  The granite façade of the abbey extends for 142 feet.  Originally it contained 33 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms, a ballroom, billiard room, library, study, school room, smoking room and gun room plus various rooms and offices for staff.

This is the drawing room in the abbey.  You might ask, ‘What is a drawing room doing in an abbey?’

Kylemore wasn’t originally an abbey.  Kylemore Castle was originally built as a private home for a wealthy doctor, Mitchell Henry, from Manchester England.  His family gained its wealth from textile manufacturing.  He and his wife moved to Ireland and he served as a Member of Parliament for 14 years.  Construction of the castle began in 1867 and it took 100 workers and 4 years to complete.

To say that this is a popular tourist attraction would be an understatement.  The rainy day may have increased the number of visitors but this was a rare instance on our trip where there were actually lines to buy tickets…

Unfortunately, Mitchell Henry’s wife Margaret died in 1875 at the age of 45 after contracting a fever during a visit to Egypt.  After her death, he didn’t spend much time at his estate.  In 1909, the castle was sold to the Duke and Duchess of Manchester.  They lived here for several years before being forced to sell the property to cover gambling debts. 

This is the rather posh dining room in the abbey (castle).  While the couple of rooms that we saw were very well done, the limited number of rooms in this huge structure that visitors can view was a real negative for us…  

In 1920, the Irish Benedictine Nuns purchased the castle and it became an abbey.  They’d been based in Belgium for hundreds of years but they’d been bombed out of their old abbey during WWI.

The various residents of the castle/abbey over the years certainly had some great views from their home!

The nuns continued to offer education to Catholic girls, opening an international boarding school as well as establishing a day-school for local girls.  The school functioned for almost a century but it closed in June 2010.  A community of Benedictine nuns continues to live and work in the abbey and they’ve contributed to the preservation of the abbey and the grounds.

As I said, we were disappointed when it came to the limited ‘tour’ of the abbey’s interior.  Fortunately, the weather took a little breather and we were able to brave the wind and explore the grounds a little.  This pretty path along the Kylemore Lake leads to a church and a mausoleum. 

This neo-gothic church was built by Mitchell Henry in the style of a church that might have been built in the 1300s.  It was constructed between 1877 and 1891 as a memorial chapel for his wife. 

Unlike most Gothic churches, there are no gargoyles or similar stone creatures.  Instead, there are smiling angels, carved sandstone flowers and birds.  These stained glass windows depict the five graces: Fortitude, Faith, Charity, Hope and Chastity. 

Laurie took this photo and I really like it!  Everything was very green and lush around the abbey’s grounds.

In 1893, Mitchell Henry began generating his own electricity.  Lough/Lake Touther is located on top of the mountain overlooking the castle.  The water pressure from the stream off the mountain was harnessed to make electricity.  Based on the value of a pound sterling in those days, the reoccurring cost of hydro power was 10 pounds per year whereas gas would have cost 400 pounds.

Love the moss and ferns…beautiful, resilient and yet delicate!

Henry created the first model farm in western Ireland.  He also cultivated the largest Victorian Walled Garden in Ireland.  It featured 21 glass greenhouses heated by a network of water pipes.  The gardens are open for visitors but the weather took a turn for the worse before we could check it out…

This simple brick structure is the mausoleum where Margaret and Mitchell Henry were interred.   He died in London and his remains were brought back to the estate.

Here’s one more view of the church…with a view of the beautiful hill or mountain enhancing the scene.

FYI…Originally the estate included 15,000 acres.  Today the property has been reduced to 1,000 acres.

I had to include a picture of some flowers didn’t I?!

The most famous visitors at the castle were King Edward VII, his wife, Queen Alexandra and their daughter, Princess Victoria.  Alexandra was a princess from Denmark and her father was to become the King of Denmark.  The entourage arrived in Leenane in July of 1903 via the Royal Yacht.  A nine-car motorcade carried them through Connemara to the castle. 

It there was any doubt that Kylemore is a major tourist attraction, this photo as well as the next 2 should prove my point.  The store was bonkers with folks shopping and trying to stay dry!

Lines…lines…lines!  If you have the urge to shop and you don’t like long lines, the craft and design shop at Kylemore is online!  Check it out at https://www.kylemoreabbey.com/shop/.

Hungry?  Visitors can dine at the Kylemore Abbey Restaurant/Mitchell’s Café, the Express Coffee Shop and Tea House or if take-out is your preference, you can visit Henry’s Take-Out Café.  As you can see, the restaurant was very busy during our visit…with yet another line.  We opted to wait and eat at Mitchell’s Restaurant in Clifden.

While we weren’t overwhelmed by the sights at Kylemore Abbey, it’s fair to say that the weather didn’t help and if forced us to skip the Victorian Gardens.   In general, we don’t like crowds either…

Admission to Kylemore Abbey and its various attractions is 13E/$15.60 US for adults and 10E/$11.00 US for seniors.  Sometimes it pays to be a senior!  To learn more about Kylemore Abbey, you can go to the website at https://www.kylemoreabbey.com/.

Just click on any of the photos to enlarge them…

Thanks for stopping by for a visit!

Take Care, Big Daddy Dave