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Kylemore Abbey in Ireland - a sad story

Writer: Helena Bergström

We have visited Kylemore Abbey in Ireland. This beautiful white building, located on the west coast of Ireland, is now a monastery and until recently was also a school. Originally a gift of love, this castle has a beautiful and sad history.

Table of contents

Wild Atlantic Way

To get to Kylemore Abbey in Ireland, we had to drive on part of the road called the Wild Atlantic Way, through Connemara National Park. We have only seen part of this road, but wow, what an amazing road! The road winds between pastures, mountains, lakes and open spaces. The weather alternated between sunny and cloudy, and the most incredible thing is that nature is just as intensely green even when it's overcast.

Irland karta — We drove a short distance on the Wild Atlantic Way, past the Mweelrea Mountains - to Kylemore Abbey.

Stad Irlands västkust — The road goes through small towns ...

Wild Atlantic Way — ... over vast expanses

Ireland Wild Atlantic Way — ... and along a fjord

READ MORE: Things to do in Ireland and Irish attractions
READ MORE: Music city Galway in Ireland - and a pub crawl

Lambs along (and on!) the road

If you, like me (Helena), like lambs, it is easy to take hundreds of photos. The lambs, which often have both black heads and black legs, are just soooo cute. Many sheep graze behind fences, while others move freely and come out on the roads. Most move out of the way when a car comes along, but one lamb had more important things to do than move out of the way of cars...

Irland lamm — "Watch out for a motorhome? No, I'm about to scratch myself!"

Lamm Irland — "The motorhome will have to wait until I finish scratching!"

Kylemore Abbey

Finally, we arrived at Kylemore Abbey. The large white building is beautifully situated by a lake. Today this is a monastery, but originally the house was built as a castle and a gift of love. This beautiful white building has a beautiful and sad history.

The history of Kylemore Abbey

Built in the late 1860s, Kylemore Abbey was a love gift from Mitchell Henry to his wife Margaret Henry, as a place where their growing family could rest from the hectic life of London.

The great castle was built during a period of poverty and hunger, but the Henry family were careful to pay their workers well and ensure that their children were educated. When completed, the enormous Victorian house included 33 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms, 4 lounges, a ballroom, billiard room, library, study, smoking room and servants' quarters.

Kylemore Abbey i Irland — Set the table for dinner!

A sad story

In 1874, just a few years after the completion of the castle, the Henry family went on holiday to Egypt. While travelling, Margaret, who was only 45 years old, contracted dysentery and died. Henry, who was left alone with the family's nine children, never remarried. In 1902, he sold the castle to the Duke of Manchester.

The Duke and Duchess of Manchester only owned the castle for just over a decade, and according to one rumour, the Duke gambled the castle away in a game of cards late one night at the castle. Whether this is true or not is unclear, the sale may also have been due to a deteriorating economy following the death of the Duchess's father.

READ MORE: Dramatic Cliffs of Moher - on the west coast of Ireland
READ MORE: Kilkenny is more than beer - rain and castles in Kilkenny

Kylemore Abbey

When the nuns experienced oppression in Britain, they fled abroad, and so a group of nuns came to Kylemore. From a castle, Kylemore became a monastery. From 1923 to 2010, Kylemore also served as a school.

Kyrka Kylemore Abbey — The small church at Kylemore Abbey

Kylemore abbey church — Amazing stonework outside the gate of the church

Visiting Kylemore Abbey in Ireland

If you want to visit Kylemore Abbey, you can get here by car on your own, or go on a guided tour. An adult ticket currently (May 2018) costs €13 and gives you access to some of the castle's rooms, guided tours at certain times, the church, the mausoleum, the Victorian garden, the walking trails in the area and a shuttle bus between the castle and the garden.

You can also read more about what's going on at Monastery website. We were, despite some rain, very happy with our visit. After the visit to the monastery, we rolled directly to the music city of Galway, where we did the town among the pubs - don't miss it in tomorrow's post!

Kylemore abbey viktoriansk trädgård — Part of Kylemore Abbey's Victorian garden

Viktoriansk trädgård Kylemore abbey — The Victorian garden - probably even more beautiful in summer

06 May 2018 6:00

Ireland

Motorhome holidays in Ireland, churches and monasteries, attraction

Helena

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32 Comments

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Karin Eklund says:

Well, who cares about motorhomes when you're the cutest little lamb? Thanks for a nice trip to the monastery with all the history. Beautiful pictures as usual. Now I look forward to the pub visits.

06 May 2018 - 6:42

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- Comment by post author
  
  Helena says:
  
  Haha, yes, right? Funny that you like our pictures! 🙂
  
  06 May 2018 - 9:17
  
  Reply
Solan says:

How I've been waiting for a pub visit? With music????

06 May 2018 - 8:02

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- Comment by post author
  
  Helena says:
  
  Haha, yes of course you have to try publishing when you are in Ireland! 🙂
  
  06 May 2018 - 9:18
  
  Reply
Annette says:

What amazing views! Ireland is definitely a country our family must travel around. What a varied nature. And the lambs, and the castles, and the gardens... And it's really green.

06 May 2018 - 8:26

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- Comment by post author
  
  Helena says:
  
  Nature is really varied! We say that to each other all the time when we are travelling around. Sometimes it's one kind of environment, and then we travel for half an hour, and there are completely new environments!
  
  06 May 2018 - 9:19
  
  Reply
FrkM says:

I love all these stone buildings and castles in Ireland and the UK. Expensive to own and operate but oh so beautiful.

06 May 2018 - 9:06

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- Comment by post author
  
  Helena says:
  
  Yes, they are beautiful! There are plenty of stone buildings here, of various kinds.
  
  06 May 2018 - 9:20
  
  Reply
Ruth i Virginia says:

The castle is simply fabulous!
The last shot of it from the "other side" of the water is enticing.
and mysterious. But, bad for living there. 🙁

Now I'm waiting for Irish music. Gee, what a lot of lovely
songs they have.

06 May 2018 - 13:13

Reply
- Comment by post author
  
  Helena says:
  
  Agree that the music in Ireland is lovely and cheerful ðŸ™'
  
  06 May 2018 - 18:07
  
  Reply
Britt-Marie Lundgren says:

The Wild Atlantic Way sounds like a must on my "to-do" list. Looks wonderful in your photos and certainly no worse in real life....

06 May 2018 - 14:52

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- Comment by post author
  
  Helena says:
  
  The Wild Atlantic Way runs along the entire west coast - a really lovely road to drive along! 🙂
  
  06 May 2018 - 18:08
  
  Reply
Ditte says:

Truly a beautiful, historic and exciting trip. I'm glad you have plenty of time and don't have to rush through the beautiful surroundings.
And don't the cute lambs care about motorhomes if they need to scratch themselves .
Beautiful pictures that really make you want to visit Ireland (I've only been around Dublin before).

06 May 2018 - 17:12

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- Comment by post author
  
  Helena says:
  
  Yes, it is nice to have plenty of time! We like to travel best when you have a little more time, and here there is so much to see and experience! 🙂
  
  06 May 2018 - 18:09
  
  Reply
Lena - gott för själen says:

But oooooh what cute little lambs. Can't blame you for wanting to go wild with your camera!

And what a beautiful fairytale castle... with a sad story!

Hug Lena

06 May 2018 - 17:34

Reply
- Comment by post author
  
  Helena says:
  
  It's nice to have someone who understands that I want to photograph lambs all the time.
  
  06 May 2018 - 18:11
  
  Reply
Geddfish says:

This one, that's the stuff! SO beautiful and green pictures and SO much romance and sadness.
Skyline Sunday hug!

06 May 2018 - 18:06

Reply
- Comment by post author
  
  Helena says:
  
  Ireland is a beautiful country! 🙂
  
  06 May 2018 - 18:11
  
  Reply
Kors och Tvärs says:

I agree that lambs are soooo cute! It seems to be incredibly green in nature, is it a rainy area?

06 May 2018 - 19:54

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- Comment by post author
  
  Helena says:
  
  Yes, it rains a lot in Ireland, that's why it's so green! I think we've been lucky with the weather. We've had a lot of sunshine, but it still rains from time to time.
  
  06 May 2018 - 22:20
  
  Reply
Ninnie says:

Now I've caught up on the posts from your trip, and Ohhhh! What pictures! Ireland looks absolutely beautiful!!! There seems to be so much to see and experience. Wish you a continued wonderful trip!

06 May 2018 - 19:59

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- Comment by post author
  
  Helena says:
  
  We have to say that we think Ireland is an amazing country! Incredibly beautiful and lots to see!
  
  06 May 2018 - 22:21
  
  Reply
Matts Torebring says:

As I said, our four-wheel drive Hyundai may be able to pull us around to all these interesting places, but not with our motorhome.

06 May 2018 - 20:51

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- Comment by post author
  
  Helena says:
  
  It sounds like a great option! We've actually seen Concordes travelling around here, so it's possible, but you're limited as to which roads you can drive on.
  
  06 May 2018 - 22:22
  
  Reply
Nils-Åke Hansson says:

Could be a new travel destination Ireland. So beautiful!

06 May 2018 - 21:52

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- Comment by post author
  
  Helena says:
  
  An incredibly beautiful country!
  
  06 May 2018 - 22:22
  
  Reply
4000mil says:

I haven't had time to read everything, as we have travelled to South Africa ourselves, but what amazingly beautiful places you visit! And lucky with the weather too!

06 May 2018 - 22:12

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- Comment by post author
  
  Helena says:
  
  Yes, I think we are very lucky with the weather! It rains a bit from time to time, but we have mostly had sunshine actually!
  
  06 May 2018 - 22:23
  
  Reply
BP says:

Here I am just crying, which I have been doing for most of the week now. The colours in the header picture are absolutely fabulous and it is probably one of the most fascinating pictures you have posted. Incredibly beautiful, even if the story is sad of course.
Then there are the lambs. The cute thing in the middle of the narrow road is unbeatable. Can you imagine that my husband thought the lamb was ugly!!!!???? I threw him out;-)

06 May 2018 - 22:45

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- Comment by post author
  
  Helena says:
  
  That the lamb was ugly? No, I can't really imagine that! Understand that you threw him out! 😉
  
  12 May 2018 - 7:50
  
  Reply
Lena i Wales says:

Have been to Kylemore Abbey many times as a tour guide. Likes the garden, even though it's a bit far away, but there's a bus that goes there, so it's okay.

12 May 2018 - 10:49

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- Comment by post author
  
  Helena says:
  
  Glad this is familiar territory for you! We took the bus there, but walked back 😉 .
  
  14 May 2018 - 23:06
  
  Reply

Kylemore Abbey in Ireland - a sad story

Writer: Helena Bergström

Wild Atlantic Way

Lambs along (and on!) the road

Kylemore Abbey

The history of Kylemore Abbey

A sad story

Kylemore Abbey

Visiting Kylemore Abbey in Ireland

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32 Comments

Karin Eklund says:

Helena says:

Solan says:

Helena says:

Annette says:

Helena says:

FrkM says:

Helena says:

Ruth i Virginia says:

Helena says:

Britt-Marie Lundgren says:

Helena says:

Ditte says:

Helena says:

Lena - gott för själen says:

Helena says:

Geddfish says:

Helena says:

Kors och Tvärs says:

Helena says:

Ninnie says:

Helena says:

Matts Torebring says:

Helena says:

Nils-Åke Hansson says:

Helena says:

4000mil says:

Helena says:

BP says:

Helena says:

Lena i Wales says:

Helena says:

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