kylemore abbey & victorian walled garden

OldEagle48

While the abbey is relative new as an abbey, the beautiful abbey, Gothic church and garden make this place worth a visit. The garden is best visited in the summer when in bloom rather than March when we were there. The history of the place adds to the beauty. Built by a wealthy man for his wife, her untimely death at the age of 45, and the twice rebirth of the place in other forms made the visit even more interesting. The history of the high-end girls school was especially interesting with Indian princesses part of the student body. You only can see the downstairs of the original home, but it is very impressive.

Ups-up

Kylemore Abbey is situated in the Heart of Connemara. The present Benedictine nuns of Kylemore Abbey have a long history, beginning at Brussels in 1598. This was the time following the suppression of religious houses in the British Isles when British Catholics left England and opened religious houses abroad.At any season of the year it is really worth a visit to this place. Stunning landscape.

MrsPudCork_Ireland

Entry to the Site is €13 ( The cafe and shop are free). The is loads of car parking available. You get an information leaflet and can walk from the visitors centre up to the Abbey, the church and the Mausoleum near the lake. There is then a bus running every 15 mins from the back of the visitors centre to the walled gardens of you can walk it if you wish. I think it takes about 20 mins. There is a tea room located next to the walled gardens which was closed at the time of our visit as it was low season.Really nice place to visit.

shannymarie

I was so excited to see Kylemore Abbey during my visit to Ireland, and it did not disappoint. As soon as it came into sight, it took my breath away! It was so pretty it didn’t even look real! It's a must visit while in the area, as the entire area is absolutely gorgeous!

jennycraig25

Went to Kylemore Abbey on 09/03/15 and was absolutely blown away by it! The setting is just stunning. 4 rooms were available to view and there was lots of information about the whole history from when it was built. The Monastery was just a short walk along the Lake and it was beautiful inside too. The architecture of both buildings is amazing! There is a mile walk up to The Victorian Walled Garden or you can take the shuttle bus up to it. We walked to it as it was so peaceful with all the old trees and birds singing away! As it is March, the crocus and daffodils were out but i'm sure it is a blaze of colour in the summer! We had coffee and homemade scones in the beautiful tea room and the craft shop has an abundance of gifts, clothes,pottery, jewellery and handbags! We spent a good 4 hours there and didn't want to leave! The most peaceful place i have ever visited!

Fourkidmomma

This is such a gorgeous building with beautiful gardens. The kids loved walking along the lake and down to the mini cathedral. We had a beautiful sunny day to explore and enjoy. Just stunning!

sean2dawn

While on our family trip to Ireland we made our way here along the Connemara which is a lovely scenic ride! We were so happy to have visited here! It is such a lovely place to see and the cathedral is charming! Got alot of great pictures to remember this day! Definitely worth making your way to!!

DOWSB

The visit to the Kylemore Abbey is always a encapsulating - even when the weather is not great. The setting, the walk, the lake, the Victoria garden and the views - all stunning! If you have time, do take the history tour of the house. It's well worth it. It's brief but gives a great synopsis of the history surrounding the estate and it's influence in the area. The house is beautiful and gives a glimpse of its former glory and the grandeur of the period. The Victoria Garden is a must. There's a shuttle bus behind the ticket booth that takes you there if you don't fancy the mile+ walk. It's stunning and very well kept. The estate is continuing to restore the glass houses. There is a gardener's house and a bothy (farm house) on display in the garden. The walking paths are very enjoyable and the church on the ground is worth a visit. We attended once where they had the choir and the organ! Spectacular! We booked online in advance for discount. Well worth it!

Kpjg01

We love Ireland and this peaceful spot is one of the reasons why. Lovely home/abbey/school on tranquil lake beckons you, off the beaten trail. Had soup/sandwich lunch with our family here - enjoyable. One of my favorite photos in our home now is family with the abbey in the background. Interesting story of its history. As usual, have a clue before you go. Preparation and research adds to wonderful travel experiences. Lovely spot.

AM4445

Lovely visit to Kylemore Abbey. We visited Abbey, church, mausoleum and gardens including gardener's cottage. Flowers were beginning to bloom and I could only imagine how beautiful garden would be during spring/summer. We were able to view 4 rooms in Abbey during off season, would have been so nice to see more!

JohnJ583

The Abbey was a bit hard to get to, but what a view from across the lake when you gaze upon it. Clearly worth the trip to get there (we drove from Dublin). February was chilly, but great with no crowds. We toured the Abbey, walked the grounds and visited the gardens. It was a self guided audio tour that included an introductory film. Well worth the fee. The gardens were nice, but honestly not as impressive, but that was probably due to time of year. We didn't spend a lot of time in the garden accordingly. They have not restored the old greenhouses which originally were there for winter viewing, but I think that is a planned project. We had lunch in the restaurant on the grounds following our visit and the food was really good. One of the best lunches in Ireland during our visit (perfectly cooked and tender chicken).

nickelive

We took our second tour in three days with Healy Bus Tours - this time to Kylemore Abbey! It was an amazing experience. The rich history, the wonderful views and the incredible surroundings made for a spectacular day. One of my favourite sights seen in all my world travels!

adventuregirl2015

I saw a photo of the Abbey on a picture cube at a store in Dublin. I asked where it was because I thought it was beautiful. I searched out the location and visited it. It is truly beautiful! The garden is also wonderful. The tour allows visitors access to many rooms also. So many castles in Ireland are mere piles of rubble this is a true gem amongst them though not technically a caslte.

2013traveldoc

Unfortunately got quite a rainy day for our visit but the serenity, peacefulness and scenery in this place is almost magical. Glancing up to waterfalls in the mountains and the view across the pond to the abbey made me feel like I was in a movie! Highly recommend and try the great gift shop after!

RachelAO1306

We live in Mayo and had decided to do a tourist "thing". This was definitely a good choice. Although a cold day, it was dry and meant the walks to the Mini Cathedral, Walled Gardens were crisp and clear. The Sunday lunch was well received after all of the walking and very tasty. I would say excellent value for a tourist attraction and as when I was younger the quiche did not fail to refuel blissful memories of tastiness. Native or tourist more than worth a visit at any time of the year!