Photos

Taken on the proeprty of Kylemore Abbey, on a walk through the woods to the small chapel. The water was so clear that it reflected the branch of the tree like a mirror...

Called Mainistir na Coille Moire (Great Wood) in Irish, Kylemore Castle is now home to a Benedictine monastery founded in 1920 on the grounds of Kylemore Castle in Connemara by nuns fleeing Belgium during WWI. It's name is accurate; the woods behind the house are quite thick. The main house is situated against a large hill. A figure of Christ overlooks the sizable lake from above. The house appears somewhat older than it is; the building was built between 1863-1868 as a private home for the family of Mitchell Henry, a wealthy politician from Manchester. After the death of his wife Margaret in 1875, he did not spend much time here. Both he and his wife are buried in the mausoleum near the small church on the grounds. The abbey is now a secondary girls' boarding school during the school year, Kylemore Abbey International Girls' School. Parts of the house and gardens are open to the public, but access is mostly limited to the ground floor, as the living quarters are on the upper stories. The setting is spectacular. It's usually somewhat crowded during summer months, but even so, it's eerily quiet. A beautiful neo-Gothic church is situated a short distance down the road from the main house. It was built between 1877-1881, so it's somewhat newer than the house. It's supposedly a miniature replica of Norwich Cathedral, made from the famous, local green Connemara marble.