Kylemore Abbey

28 Jan

Walking through some of the most beautiful landscapes in the world, we will find an Abbey nestled among some woodland on a gorgeous lakeshore

The history of this place is absolutely fascinating.

The Henry’s

Nestled among a gorgeous landscape, found in an ancient native woodland, you will find the Kylemore Estate, and in the heart of that estate you will find Kylemore Abbey.

But how did the Abbey and the estate come to exist?

We know that the area was quite picturesque before the Abbey was even built, featuring in several 19th century travel journals. But it is to the Henry family that we must thank for building such an amazing place. As it is they who would settle in the Kylemore Valley and make the place wonderful.

Mitchell Henry, our patriarch, while born in Manchester, had Irish blood running through his veins. A successful and accomplished eye surgeon, he became one of the wealthiest men in Britain upon the death of his father, and with his newfound wealth, he lost no time in quitting his trade and trying his hand at politics, where he felt he could make a real difference to the world.

But where does a successful ex doctor/current politician live? While travelling around the Connemara area in the early 1850s, Henry and his new wife, Margaret, stumbled upon a hunting lodge in the Kylemore Valley and had fallen in love with the scenery and the peaceful nature of the area. It was like fate had found them a place to call their own. Henry bought Kylemore Lodge as a love token for his wife and as a home for the ever-growing Henry family.

But a family needs a bit more space than a hunting lodge, and so it was Margaret Henry herself who laid the foundation stone for Kylemore Castle on the 4th September 1867.

The family loved the outdoor life, and Margaret revelled in her role as the country lady, creating amazing interiors for the Castle. And the family became ingrained in the local community. What more do you need for a picturesque lifestyle?

As for our patriarch himself, he decided he was going to transform the surrounding land from useless bog to useable soil, which happily aligned with his policy of improvement and advancement. Henry wasn’t afraid of some good old fashioned hard work, especially if the results worked.

By encouraging his tenants to follow his lead, Mitchell Henry turned thousands of acres into a productive estate over forty years. Developing the Kylemore Estate both as a commercial and political example, this in turn brought benefits to the whole region and has left quite the impression on the locals, even today.

While enjoying their idyllic life, the Henry’s decided a good old holiday was in order. They’d spent almost all their time building the castle and reinvigorating the region. It was time to take some time for themselves and relax. So it was that in 1874, the Henry family departed for Egypt.

Unfortunately it would be a trip they would sooner not have gone on. While holidaying, Margaret became ill and despite all efforts taken, nothing could be done. At just 45, and with her youngest daughter being 2 years old, Margaret Henry died. And the family really wasn’t the same.

Naturally they returned home heart broken. With Margaret’s body having been embalmed in Cairo before their return, so that she could be laid to rest in the place she loved the most.

There is a local lore that says that Margaret’s body lay in a glass coffin in the front hall, where both the family and the tenants could pay their respects. While this might seem a little odd to us now, at that time, and still for many cultures around the world, having the funeral in the home and having a period of viewing the body isn’t all that strange.

Eventually, Margaret’s remains were placed in the red brick mausoleum built in the Kylemore Woodlands.

1878 saw work begin on the neo-Gothic Church, built as a lasting testament to Margaret. Although oddly her remains were never moved to the vaults beneath.

Unfortunately, a couple years later, another death would hit the family when Mitchell’s daughter, Geraldine, was killed in a carriage accident.

Even though Henry continued living at Kylemore, with his older children helping to manage the estate, life just wasn’t the same.

The Henry Family left Kylemore in 1902, with the estate being sold to the 9th Duke of Manchester.

After living on the Estate for 35 years, the place looked a lot different to when they first arrived.

Mitchell Henry died at 84, and despite his successful career as a politician, the loss of his wife and daughter took its toll, he died with just £700 to his name.

The Manchester’s

So its 1903 and the Duke and Duchess of Manchester have moved into Kylemore Castle. The Manchester’s are almost polar opposites to the Henry’s.

They live a lavish lifestyle. The Duke, William Montague, is quite a colourful character, although not that great with money, becoming bankrupt by 23. Thanks to these money woes, everything is largely financed by the Duchess’ wealthy American father.

And to be honest the reason for the Duke marrying Helena Zimmerman, was because she was a heiress. Despite their elopement in Paris, and Helena’s parents not approving of the match, her father did hope that the life as a country squire would mean the Duke would leave behind his partying ways. And yet, that is not what happened.

They did leave their mark on the Castle though, making changes almost immediately after moving in. The renovation included removing almost all of the Henry’s Italian inspired interiors and really making the place look lavish.

They ripped out large amounts of Italian and Connemara marble, as well as the German stained-glass windows in the staircase hall. I think it’s clear to say that the locals weren’t all that pleased with these changes, especially because it would have felt quite disrespectful to the memory of the much-loved Margaret Henry and the Castle interiors that she designed.

Although they weren’t there very long, the Manchester’s moved out of Kylemore in 1914, after the death of the Duchess’ father. There was a rumour that the Duke lost the estate while gambling, but it’s probably more likely that when Helena’s father died, the funds dried up, meaning they just couldn’t maintain the estate.

Scandal continued to follow the Duke and Duchess with the pair divorcing in 1931, and Helena going on to remarry.

The Nuns

After the Manchester’s the Nuns arrived and have lived on the Kylemore Estate for the last 100 years, where they welcome all visitors to enjoy the wonderful landscape.

Kylemore Abbey, as it is now known, is home to the oldest Irish Benedictine Abbey and the story of the Benedictine Nuns goes a fair way back.

They began in Brussels in 1598. Thanks to the religious suppression sweeping through the British Isles, there were many British Catholics who left England to open their own monastic houses in the much more religious friendly Europe. And it was in Brussels that a Benedictine House was founded by a Lady Mary Percy in 1598, and it’s from this House that a number of monasteries have originated. One of which being the Benedictine House at Ypres being established in 1665. It was this Ypres Abbey that seemed to attract the daughters of the Irish nobility, both as students and budding nuns.

They were forced to flee to Ireland as refugees during the First World War when their abbey was destroyed. They arrived at Kylemore in 1920 as The Irish Dames of Ypres.

It was at Kylemore that they were able to continue their Benedictine mission of education. And Kylemore Abbey was the perfect place for it. They set up an international boarding school, even welcoming local girls, with the rooms in the abbey being converted to classrooms and dormitories.

And the school grew in its reputation, achieving international renown, and attracting students from throughout Europe, Asia, the United States, as well as Ireland. Those nuns sure are savvy.

The Kylemore Abbey School was formally opened in 1923 with just 30 students. Seen as a

High-class school [offering] all the advantages of a Continental education without the necessity for lengthened travel.

The school quickly became one of the most prestigious girls’ schools in the world.

As we’ve often seen, nothing lasts forever, and neither does this top-tier educational facility. Thanks to decreased enrolments and general societal changes, the nuns were forced to close the school at the end of the 2010 school year. By the end there was only one nun that remained teaching, and with increasing running and maintenance costs, it seemed the only smart decision.

Even though the school was closed, it didn’t stop these feisty ladies from continuing their work in education. They still hold music programmes, the Connemara Maths Academy, and have even partnered with the University of Notre Dame.

It was only in 2016 that the University of Notre Dame Global Centre opened for students and faculty as a residential centre. The programs provided naturally combine the scholarly offerings of a university with the traditional spirituality of a Benedictine society. Really it’s the best of both worlds as Hannah Montana would say.

Not only do they continue with their educational offerings, the nuns also continue to maintain and run the wider estate. They have even developed a range of tourism enterprises which generates wealth and employment for the local region.

If you would like to learn more about how the Nuns are making the Kylemore Estate a better place, then check out this link and have a look through. It really is fascinating.

The Abbey

The Abbey itself is open to the public, and you can walk through the restored rooms, they have a brilliant Visitor Experience which allows you to learn all about the Abbey and the estate’s history.

We already know that the castle was built in 1868. Designed by Architect James Franklin Fuller and Engineer Ussher Roberts, at the time Kylemore had all the latest Victorian innovations. With 33 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms, 4 sitting rooms, a ballroom, billiard room, smoking room, gun room, school room, library and study, the Henry’s certainly weren’t going to run out of space. And that doesn’t even include the staff residences and various offices. Good god, think of the cleaning.

And good grief was the Castle equipped for large gatherings. The kitchens were massive, fitted with not just one, but several pantries, an ice-house, multiple larders and cellars full of beer and wine.

Thanks to the efforts of dynamite, the Castle was able to be positioned so that it sat in the face of the mountain. Just establishing the lavishness of the Castle with its position overlooking the lake.

If you find yourself at the present-day Kylemore Abbey, you can take yourself on a self-guided tour of the ground floor. Make sure to take in the ‘From Generation to Generation’ visitor experience which allows you to see modern uses for the restored period rooms, as it tells the stories of the many who have called Kylemore home. There’s historical photographs, artefacts, historical costumes, and even an audio-visual presentation. Unfortunately you’re unable to explore the upper levels, as they are currently being used as the Nuns residences.

If you wish to have a more planned and guided tour, there are several history talks you can join throughout the day, that will explain more of the history about Kylemore.

Here’s a little glimpse into what you can see as you wander around:

As you walk into the Abbey, you can see the timeline of the Kylemore Story, giving you an idea of just how rich this area’s history really is.

You’ll be able to experience Mitchell Henry’s Library and Study, redecorated for the period. The Italian marble fireplace and exquisite wallpapers in the Drawing Room give you a sense of the opulence that filled the Abbey in the time of the Henry’s.

You’ll be able to wander through the Dining Room, the Ante Room, and the Gallery Saloon, where the Duke and Duchess of Manchester liked to entertain their guests.

The Flight from Ypres room gives you a visual presentation on the Belgium origins of the Benedictine Community that now call Kylemore home.

So if you find yourself in the Connemara area, this place is definitely one that should be high up on the to do list.

The surrounds

The wilderness that surrounds Kylemore Abbey is one of Ireland’s more unique landscapes, and was even described as

a savage beauty

by a certain Oscar Wilde.

It’s this very romantic country that lends itself to numerous tales of folklore and legends, and seeing as the estate contains 13 000 acres of gardens, walks and woodlands, there is more than enough room for all of the stories.

But let’s take a moment to wander around the Victorian Walled Garden. If you get the chance to see the garden today you will be walking among the restored garden, which currently features flowers, vegetables and herbs.

The original walled garden was developed with the original Castle in the late 1800s and was once quite the size, featuring 21 heated glasshouses and 40 gardeners to keep the place in tip top shape.

Here’s a remark from a visitor in 1872, when the garden was at its Victorian peak:

The beauty of the flowerbeds with the rich emerald green of the grass invest the whole area with inexpressible charm.

These days the garden is looked after by head gardener Anja Gohlke, who says that topography dictates how the garden looks:

The two sides of our lawn are not mirror images.

On the eastern half of the garden you will encounter, formal garden beds, glasshouses, and the head gardener’s house. Taken from archived photos, there’s a distinct Victorian feel for the layout of the flowers.

While the western half is where the veggies, fruits and herbs can be found. It’s this part of the garden that has kept the Benedictine community largely self-sufficient for almost the whole time they’ve called Kylemore home.

For more info on the incredibly fascinating history of the garden and the extensive restorative work put into getting the garden into the magnificent shape it’s in today, check out the self-guiding panels throughout the garden itself.

Unfortunately, once a highlight of the estate, once the Henry’s vacated, the Victorian Walled Garden fell into some serious disrepair. I guess the Manchester’s didn’t have any green thumbs. But when the Nuns moved in they brought the garden back to life, using it as a working garden to supply both the live-in nuns and the students.

Here's a quote from an interview that gardener at the time, John Joyce, gave in 1993 about the self-sufficiency of the garden:

We had all types of vegetables, carrots, parsnips, turnips, potatoes; the early potatoes were number one, we used to sow them in March. The cabbage was next, all different types of cabbage.

A new Head Gardener in 1995, Ann Golden, wanted to see about restoring the garden to its former glory, and that would mean treating it almost like an archaeological dig. And so that’s what they did.

They brought in all sorts of experts to begin revealing the original structure of the garden. As this pain-staking work took place it was decided that the garden would be a heritage garden. This means that only heritage plants, or plants originally planted in the garden could be used. So that means they were looking at any plants pre-1901.

The planting is as true as we can make it to what would have been used in the 1880s to 1890s.

Now you have to admit that is pretty impressive. A garden from the past.

And what better way to celebrate such an achievement than with a public opening with great fanfare. In October 2000 the garden was opened to the public, as was the newly built Garden Tea House, and in 2001 the Garden Restoration Project won the Europa Nostra, a prestigious cultural heritage award.

Let’s now wander away from the garden and take a moment to admire the woodland and lake. There are many walks to take throughout the 100 acre Kylemore Estate.

You could visit the neo-Gothic church, which is only a short walk away from the Abbey, and stop by the Mausoleum where the Henry’s are buried side-by-side.

Oddly enough, when Mitchell Henry built the Gothic Church it was an Anglican Church, but when the Benedictine Nuns arrived, they re-dedicated it as a Catholic Church in 1920. And so today it is used for Masses, music recitals, choral performances and all sorts of other events.

So it seems that the whole area around Kylemore Abbey has so much to offer. I definitely recommend bringing your good walking shoes, and get there early in the day, so you can experience everything Kylemore has to offer to it’s fullest.