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Kylemore Abbey in Ireland - a sad story

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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.

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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
Wild Atlantic Way Irland
... pastures
Irland vägar
... through forests
Ireland Wild Atlantic Way
... and along a fjord

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...

Lammunge Irland
How cute are they?
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.

Klostret Kylemore Abbey på Irland - sett från vägen
Kylemore Abbey in Ireland - seen from the road

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.

Klostret Kylemore Abbey i Irland
Kylemore Abbey from a different perspective

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
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