Once upon a time, far, far away in a beautiful and mystical place called Connemara
a prince of a guy built an enchanting castle for his princess.
The benevolent prince, pioneer, industry tycoon and politician lived a fairytale existence in Kylemore Castle with his much-loved princess and their nine children (obviously she was very much loved). Nine children hardly equated to a full house in the thirty-three-room castle.
A 6-acre Victorian garden west of the castle and south of Duchruach mountain
A 6-acre Victorian garden west of the castle and south of Duchruach mountain
provided a delightful oasis of fun for the children on those rare days when sunshine added an extra sparkle to their charmed life.
Inside the walled garden, all manner of exotic plants, including fruits such as bananas, figs, melons and grapes were grown in the twenty-one glasshouses heated with a network of water pipes. The prince would stop at nothing when it came to adding magic to his 15,000-acre fiefdom fairytale existence.
Even the 125 tenants living on the land surrounding the estate grew to love and appreciate this prince of a landlord from Manchester, England. Windows were installed in every tenant’s cottage on the estate;
Even the 125 tenants living on the land surrounding the estate grew to love and appreciate this prince of a landlord from Manchester, England. Windows were installed in every tenant’s cottage on the estate;
laborers earned a salary that equaled their annual rent in two months time, an unprecedented amount for peasants in feudal Ireland. All were happy.
Life went on this way for years and years; everyone having anything to do with Kylemore Estate prospered. Alas, the evil hand of misfortune reached out to touch the prince's charmed life.
Life went on this way for years and years; everyone having anything to do with Kylemore Estate prospered. Alas, the evil hand of misfortune reached out to touch the prince's charmed life.
Margaret, his beloved princess fell ill and died during a family trip to Egypt. I hate when that happens!
The saddened prince built a beautiful memorial chapel for his lost love on the castle grounds and laid his bride of twenty-four years to rest on the grounds of his estate before saying goodbye to his castle and life at Kylemore.
Photo courtesy of Wikipedia.
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To walk the grounds of that fairy tale one-hundred-fifty years later was pure magic, despite the steady drizzle the day of our visit.
To walk the grounds of that fairy tale one-hundred-fifty years later was pure magic, despite the steady drizzle the day of our visit.
There's my prince charming dodging the raindrops.
And while Jimmy and I made a very insignificant dent in seeing all today's Kylemore Abbey had to offer, I saw enough to understand why Mitchell Henry and his wife, Margaret, fell in love with Connemara, Ireland while honeymooning there so long ago.
I think I could call this our second honeymoon given all the romance surrounding the place.
Pallacappul Lake and the surrounding estate were as beautiful as they were mysterious, a “savage beauty” according to Ireland's Oscar Wilde. It was easy to understand why the Kylemore Abbey & Victorian Walled Garden is the most visited attraction in western Ireland. I fell in love with the raw beauty of the Connemara landscape, with the sweeping vistas and the constantly changing moods carried in with the mist.
When the sun sets, I could see the romance changing to spooky.
Mitchell Henry was as much a pioneer as he was a prince to his princess and the Irish peasants who worked his land.
His inheritance certainly help support his princely lifestyle.
He developed the Kylemore Estate as a commercial and political experiment; the result brought material and social benefits to the entire region for forty years and left a lasting impression on the landscape and history of the local people. Henry represented Galway in the House of Commons for 14 years and was a strong advocate of Home Rule. He sought many improvements for the Irish people, beginning with his tenants. He set up a school for his tenants’ children and reduced his tenants’ rent in hard times.
I think our prince would have welcomed the Benedictine Nuns escaping war-torn Ypres in Belgium. They purchased his then neglected 19th century castle along with 10,000 acres in 1914 for a little over 45,000 pounds, almost three times what Mitchell Henry paid for the estate in the mid-1800s. The nuns’ longstanding tradition of education prompted the opening of an international boarding school for girls on the grounds in 1923. By 1930 a day school was added for local girls seeking an education. June of 2010 saw the last students of Kylemore Abbey sit for final exams.
The Benedictine Nuns remain in residence today as directors of the Kylemore Trust, providing the spiritual heart behind the continuing fairy tale surrounding this magical place as well as
I think our prince would have welcomed the Benedictine Nuns escaping war-torn Ypres in Belgium. They purchased his then neglected 19th century castle along with 10,000 acres in 1914 for a little over 45,000 pounds, almost three times what Mitchell Henry paid for the estate in the mid-1800s. The nuns’ longstanding tradition of education prompted the opening of an international boarding school for girls on the grounds in 1923. By 1930 a day school was added for local girls seeking an education. June of 2010 saw the last students of Kylemore Abbey sit for final exams.
The Benedictine Nuns remain in residence today as directors of the Kylemore Trust, providing the spiritual heart behind the continuing fairy tale surrounding this magical place as well as
Wow, today's nuns don't look at all like founder Lady Mary Percy.
providing the vision needed to restore the castle and gardens to their former glory.
Oh yea of little faith; the nuns will have these ruins restored in no time.
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The Bottom Line on Kylemore Abbey
Verdict: If you’re into Gothic Revival fairytales in the most idyllic of settings in Ireland, and a steady drizzle doesn’t dampen your spirits, then you won’t want to miss this piece of magic. If
you get a beautiful, sunny day while visiting, let me be the first to acknowledge you too live a charmed life.
The Bottom Line on Kylemore Abbey
Verdict: If you’re into Gothic Revival fairytales in the most idyllic of settings in Ireland, and a steady drizzle doesn’t dampen your spirits, then you won’t want to miss this piece of magic. If
you get a beautiful, sunny day while visiting, let me be the first to acknowledge you too live a charmed life.
Doesn't get much more Gothic than this.
How to Get There: Head for the southwest coast of Ireland anytime you need some magic in your life; Kylemore Abbey & Victorian Walled Garden is open every day of the year. Connemara is an easy drive from Galway. Kylemore is just off the R344 and on the N59 highway. Bus tours are available from Galway.
Insider Information: If you’re short on time (we had only two hours) consider what you’d really like to see before heading off to conquer today's 1,000 acre Kylemore site. There’s really not much to see inside the castle; the drawing room, dining room, and entry are open to the public.
Insider Information: If you’re short on time (we had only two hours) consider what you’d really like to see before heading off to conquer today's 1,000 acre Kylemore site. There’s really not much to see inside the castle; the drawing room, dining room, and entry are open to the public.
I have the same color paint in my drawing room. Really!
My dining room is a warm, cozy caramel crème color. This white is too stark for my tastes.
Regretfully, we missed seeing the Gothic Church and the mausoleum for fear the bus would leave without us! We’d obviously dilly dallied too long in the Victorian Walled Garden, which was a good mile from the site of the Gothic Church and mausoleum.
Nearby food: Adjacent to the Visitor’s Center is a restaurant (and gift shop!).
Nearby food: Adjacent to the Visitor’s Center is a restaurant (and gift shop!).
Don't spend any time inside dining. There's too much to see.
Cafeteria style soups, salads and sandwiches were available, with prices ranging from 4.5 euros to 10.5 euros.
Take your food to go. Most of it is suited for that purpose anyway.
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