Kylemore Abbey

Kylemore Abbey

A castle mirrored in a lake

In the wild and beautiful region of Connemara, in County Galway, a grand castle stands against a backdrop of wooded mountains, perfectly mirrored in the still waters of a lake at its feet. This is Kylemore — built as a private castle, now a Benedictine abbey, and one of the most photographed and beloved sights in all of Ireland. Few buildings anywhere enjoy so romantic a setting.

A castle built for love

Kylemore was built between 1867 and 1871 by Mitchell Henry, a wealthy doctor and businessman, as a magnificent home for his beloved wife, Margaret. Henry had fallen in love with the dramatic Connemara landscape, and he spared no expense in creating a fairytale castle of grey granite, with towers, turrets and dozens of rooms, set beside the lake.

Sadly, the love story behind Kylemore became a tragic one: Margaret died young, and the heartbroken Mitchell Henry built a beautiful little Gothic church nearby in her memory, a miniature cathedral of carved stone, as well as a grand mausoleum. The castle, the church and their story give Kylemore a deeply romantic and touching atmosphere.

Becoming an abbey

In 1920, the castle began a new chapter when it was bought by a community of Benedictine nuns. These nuns had been forced to flee their abbey in Belgium during the First World War, and they made Kylemore their new home. From then on the castle became Kylemore Abbey, and for many years the nuns ran a famous girls' boarding school there.

The Benedictine community has cared for Kylemore ever since, preserving its beauty and welcoming visitors and pilgrims from around the world.

The walled garden

Among Kylemore's treasures is its magnificent Victorian walled garden, created by Mitchell Henry in the 1800s. In its heyday it was one of the finest gardens in Ireland, with glasshouses growing exotic fruits and flowers even in the cool, wet Connemara climate. The garden fell into neglect over the years but has since been lovingly restored, and today it blooms once more with flowers, vegetables and herbs.

A place of peace and beauty

Kylemore is loved not only for its grand castle and gardens but for the peace and beauty of its setting. Walks lead along the lake and through the woods, the little Gothic church is a jewel of carved stone, and the whole place has a calm, prayerful atmosphere thanks to the nuns who live there.

Visiting today

Visitors can tour parts of the abbey and learn its romantic and sometimes sad history, visit the beautiful Gothic church, and explore the restored Victorian walled garden, reached by a woodland walk or shuttle. The view of the castle reflected in its lake, with the mountains rising behind, is one of the most famous and lovely sights in Ireland. Romantic, peaceful and breathtakingly set, Kylemore Abbey is a true jewel of Connemara.