Kylemore Abbey

I have seen many pretty photos of Kylemore Abbey but was not prepared for the expansive beauty of the grounds, the residence and the church.

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Kylemore was built as a token of love in 1867 by Mitchell Henry for his wife, Margaret.  It was during their honeymoon that they first saw a hunting lodge on what is now Kylemore Abbey and where they decided to raise their family.   Mitchell Henry was a well-known and highly respected surgeon in England; however, Kylemore provided a haven from that life and he eventually quit medicine to focus on Ireland's politics.  Margaret was the epitome of a gentile country lady and she was loved by all the tenants.

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During the time of hunger and disease, the Henry's helped their tenants, never threatening or evicting, earning the tenants respect and deep loyalty.  Mitchell brought many positive changes and economic growth to the Connemara region. He even built a school for the tenants' children.

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In 1874, the family vacationed in Egypt and Margaret fell ill.  Nothing could be done to save her and she past two weeks later.  Margaret was only 45 years old and left behind nine children, the youngest was only 2 years old.  Mitchell Henry was heartbroken and had Margaret's body carefully embalmed in Egypt for the trip back to Kylemore. Her remains were placed in a mausoleum built in the woods of Kylemore. 

 

In 1878, Mitchell Henry built a beautiful gothic church to honor his wife with plans to place her remains (and that of the family members) in the crypts under the church.  For some reason, they were never moved and she now rests with her husband in the mausoleum in the woods. 

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Henry eventually sold Kylemore Abbey to the Duke of Manchester in 1902 and it then passed to the Benedictine Nuns in 1923, who opened an international school for girls.  It was fully operational until 2010.