Author's product rating: 
| Advantages: |
Wonderful, breathtaking beauty . Excellent experience . |
| Disadvantages: |
A little out of the way . Will not suit everyone |
| Recommend to potential buyers: |
yes |
When you eventually approach Kylemore Abbey in connemara, you are simply amazed with the spectacular beauty and wonderfully landscaped area. Why so amazed? This Abbey is located 50 miles away from Galway in the middle of probably one of the most barren areas in Ireland. Connemara is known for its rugged beauty, its stone walls, and its flora which is particular to this part of the country. To then enter into a wonderfully designed and well cultivated garden which is resplendent most of the year through is a sight for one to see, and brings a little tone of disbelief too - how could it be done?
Kylemore Abbey, as the name would suggest is first and foremost a religious building. It houses the sisters of the Benedictine order who were firstly founded in Ypres, Belgium in 1665. The order then opened its doors in Dublin in 1688 at the request of King James II. While Kylemore Castle was built in 1871, under the direction of Mitchell Henry, it wasnt until 1920 that the order came to Kylemore and turned the castle into a house of prayer. Shortly after their arrival, the nuns then opened a boarding school for girls - this school is still in operation today, but will be closing in 2010.
Apart from the school and the Abbey, there are so many other little
attractions in Kylemore.
There is a self service restaurant which is always in demand through most of the year, but especially during the summer months. Here, you will find real Irish food - such as stew, beef and guinness cassrole, and fish caught locally. While this is not haute cuisine, it certainly fills the gap, and you will never go away hungry. Prices are competitive, but not cheap. A meal for one will cost in and around €10-15.
A craft and pottery shop will have many local arts and crafts, including the jams made by the nuns of the abbey, and the pottery made in the studio in the abbey.
The walled garden is probably one of the finest examples of Victorian walled gardens anywhere. The nuns have overseen a painstakingly difficult and expesnive restoration of the gardens, having seen their significance. FAS (Irish skills training authority) got involved with the nuns in this project, and it finished in 2002. Shortly after this, the garden recieved a prestigious award for their dedication to the restoration project - the Europa Nostra award. When you see the impressive gardens, you will see that the award was well deserved. To be viewed are the glasshouses which have exotic plants and fruits, a kitchen garden with herbs, and some wonderful flowers set in geometrically shaped flowerbeds.
Finally, the Gothic church - which was built by Mitchell Henry as a memorial in honour of his wife who died at an early age. The church itself was completed in 1881. It has been described as a "mini cathedral" and shows gargoyles, a crypt and corner butresses. Inside, you will see examples of Irish marble.
My recommendation: Definitely, go there! It may be a little bit out of the way, but once you are there, you will relax in wonderful surroundings, taking in the wonderful scenery, the beautiful arhitecture of the abbey and the gothic church, and the delights in the restaurant and the craft shop.
Display pictures
View of Kylemore Abbey from across the man made lake |
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