Kylemore Abbey
| County: | Co. Galway |
| Tel: | 095-41146 |
| Fax: | 095-41440 |
| Email: | info@kylemoreabbeytourism.ie |
Set in the heart of the Connemara mountains is the Kylemore Abbey Estate, home of the Irish Benedictine Nuns. Visit the picturesque Abbey (under restoration), exhibition and enjoy a stroll to the beautiful Neo-Gothic Church (under restoration) and Mausoleum where original owners are buried; browse in the Craft/Retail Shop; view Kylemore Abbey pottery as it is produced in the Pottery Studio and sample our home cooked food in the Restaurant. Take a shuttle bus to Kylemore Abbey’s six-acre Victorian Walled Garden, the most significant walled garden in the West.
A visit to the West of Ireland is not complete without experiencing the
beauty and tranquillity that is Kylemore Abbey & Garden.
General Information
| Address: | Connemara Co Galway |
|---|---|
| Telephone; | 095-41146 |
| Fax: | 095-41440 |
| Email: | info@kylemoreabbeytourism.ie |
| Website: | http://www.kylemoreabbeytourism.ie/ |
| Location: | 80 km from Galway on N59 between Recess and Letterfrack |
| Season: | All Year (Except 22nd-26th of December) |
| Open Times: | May-Sept: 09.00-19.00 Oct-Apr: 10.00-16.30 |
| Tours: | Regular during summer; Can be arranged for groups |
| Booking Contact: | 095-41146 / 41465 / 41446 |
| Manager: | Frank Ford |
| Average Visit Length: | 2 hours |
| Entrance Fees: | Adult: €12.00/ Seniors: €9.00 / Students €8.00 / U12: Free / Group Rate €8.00 |
| Restaurant: | Restaurant serving home-cooked food - meals available throughout the day. |
| Picnic Area: | No |
| Shop: | Wide range of quality Irish crafted goods, crystal, knitwear, fashion. |
| Information Guide: | English, Irish, French, German, Italian & Spanish |
| Coach Parking: | Yes |
| Group Booking Necessary: | Yes |
| Car Parking: | Yes |
| Disabled Access/Parking: | Partial access |
| Other: | http://www.facebook.com/HeritageIsland?ref=ts#!/pages/Kylemore-Abbey-Victorian-Walled-Gardens/101885946358?ref=sgm |
Benedictine Nuns
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. A number of monasteries originated from one Benedictine house in Brussels, founded by Lady Marry Percy in 1598. Houses funded from Lady Mary’s house in Brussels were at Cambray in France (now Stanbrook in England) and at Ghent (now Oulton Abbey) in Staffordshire, Ghent in turn founded several Benedictine Houses, now of which was at Ypres. Kylemore Abbey is the oldest of the Irish Benedictine Abbeys
Art Exhibition – “Beyond the Walls of Kylemore”
Galway Artist, Sara Kyne has created a beautiful collection of oil paintings depicting life at Kylemore Abbey. The paintings include portraits of the Benedictine nuns, images inspired by the Victorian Walled Garden and life on the farm at Kylemore. The exhibition will start on the 4th July and run through to September. Entry is included in the admission price to the Kylemore Estate.
For more information click here.
Annual Membership Passes
Kylemore Abbey & Victorian Walled Garden has launched their new Annual Membership Tickets which offers great value and lots of added benefits such as;
- - Enjoy unlimited access to the Kylemore Estate
- - 10% Discount* off all full price products in the craft shop
- - Guests you bring with you will receive a 10% Discount off their entry fee
- - Receive our monthly newsletter informing you of events and activities
Adult membership €25, Family Membership Ticket (2 adults & 2 children over 12 years, free entry for children under 12 years) €50.
*discount excludes sales & promotional items
Gardens
The Victorian Walled Garden, situated 1.6 km (1 mile) from the Abbey, is 3.4 hectares (8.5 acres) in extent, 2.4 hectares (6 acres) of which are completely enclosed by a brick and limestone wall. The garden was constructed at the same time at the Castle and was laid out by the head gardener, James Garnier. The glasshouses were designed by Cranstons of Birmingham. These could be walked through from end to end and acted as a winter garden for the ladies on wet days. The glasshouses were heated by three boilers, one of which doubled as a limekiln, and a complex system of underground hot-water pipes, 4.8 kilometres (3 miles) in extent. Two of the glasshouses have recently been restored, along with the Head Gardener’s House and workman’s Bothy. The garden provided the flowers, fruits and vegetables for the Henry family. However, under the ownership of the Duke and Duchess of Manchester and Ernest Fawke, it went into decline. Nuns re-employed a Head Gardener until the 1940s. In the 1950s, Sr. Benedict took charge and kept the garden working for as long as was financially possible. In time, the flower garden became a wilderness and the glasshouses collapsed, leaving only their brick base. The Garden, which is still under restoration, was re-opened by the nuns in 2000.
Garden Opening Times
10.00-16.30 low season / 10.00-17.30 high season
