Why Kylemore Abbey is Worth Visiting (Honest Review)

Hidden deep in the Connemara mountains, Kylemore Abbey is more than a postcard-perfect landmark – it’s a corner of Galway where history, tragedy, and resilience collide.

Built in 1868 by Mitchell Henry as a romantic gift for his wife, the neo-Gothic castle became a Benedictine monastery in 1920 after nuns fled war-torn Belgium.

One of the most-visited attractions in Galway, it’s well worth visiting, even if you only admire the magnificent structure from the car park.

Visiting Kylemore Abbey

Kylemore Abbey is in the heart of the breathtaking Connemara region on the Wild Atlantic Way, perched on the banks of Pollacapall Lough, surrounded by mountains and enchanting woodland. It’s right on the edge of Connemara National Park, one hour and 20 minutes from the centre of Galway City.

1. Why it’s worth visiting

I’ve been to Kylemore Abbey seven or eight times over the years, sometimes just to admire it from the road near the car park and other times with family to do the full tour. It never gets old. The setting is dramatic, and while I’m still not sure if it’s the building or the history that draws me back, it always leaves an impression. There’s a quiet weight to the place – something about the setting and the story that gives it a different feel every time you visit.

2. How long you need

For first-time visitors, I’d recommend allocating around 2.5 hours if you plan on seeing all there is to see (check the map above). If you’re just planning on visiting the abbey itself, 1 hour is more than enough.

3. Opening hours (Abbey, Gardens, café and Shop)

Kylemore Abbey’s opening days vary depending on the time of the year:

• Mar 10 – Oct 26: Daily, 10am–6pm (Visitor Experience last entry 5pm)
• Oct 27 – Dec 23: Daily, 10am–5pm (Visitor Experience last entry 4pm)
• From Dec 27: Daily, 10am–5pm (Visitor Experience last entry 4pm)

4. The shuttle

The abbey’s Victorian Walled Gardens are a pleasant stroll from the Visitor Centre, along the edge of Maladrolaun Lake. However, if you’re not feeling up to it, you can take the free shuttle bus that leaves from the Visitor Centre every 15 minutes. 

5. Getting to Kylemore Abbey from Galway

If you are driving, follow my Connemara itinerary and you’ll visit the Abbey along the way. If you aren’t driving, the best way to get to Kylemore Abbey from Galway is on a tour like this one. This is a 9-hour tour that takes you around the region and it includes a visit to the Abbey!

Things to see at Kylemore Abbey

One of the reasons that a visit to Kylemore Abbey is one of the more popular things to do in Ireland is due to the volume of things there are to see and do.

Below, you’ll find information on the Mausoleum, the Church and the abbey itself.

1. The abbey (from afar)

One of the best viewpoints of the abbey is actually from the visitor car park. The car park is on the other side of Pollacapall Lough, so you’ll be able to admire the abbey from across the water with the beautiful backdrop of the mountains.

Once you’ve taken in the magnificent views (this area makes a great viewpoint), walk over to the abbey where you can enjoy a self-guided tour of the ground floor and its beautifully restored period rooms.

The rooms tell the story of the abbey’s original owners, the Henry Family through hidden audio and modern visual effects. 

2. The neo-Gothic Church

The neo-Gothic church at Kylemore Abbey is a five-minute stroll from the abbey along the shores of Pollacapall Lough.

The church has been described as a ‘Cathedral in Miniature’, with a stunning arched ceiling, intricately-carved windows, and stunning marble pillars from each of Ireland’s four marble regions. 

Built in 1881, the church was commissioned by Mitchell Henry in honour of his late wife Margaret, who passed away of dysentery while on holiday in Egypt.

A closer look reveals beautiful details like carved flowers, angel features, and birds. These aren’t typical of a Gothic structure and are a clear tribute from Mitchell to his wife. 

3. The gardens

Kylemore Abbey boasts a beautiful Victorian Walled Garden which dates back to the late 1800s. At its prime, there were 21 heated glasshouses and 40 gardeners tending to the plants.

The garden was extremely advanced for its time and was even likened to Kew Gardens in London! Today, the garden covers six acres divided by a small stream, with a vegetable garden, herb garden, and fruit trees on the western half, and formal gardens and glasshouses on the eastern half.

Overlooking the garden, there’s a seasonal tea house where you can enjoy coffee, tea, and cakes, either indoors or outside on the picnic tables. 

You can reach the gardens through one of the abbey’s woodland walks, or take the free shuttle bus.

4. The Mausoleum

Further past the church, tucked away in a peaceful spot, is the mausoleum, Mitchell and Margaret Henry’s final resting place. 

Unlike the splendour of the neo-Gothic church, the mausoleum is a modest building, built from unusual yellow bricks with a simple cross above what used to be the entrance. 

Mitchell Henry was laid to rest here in 1910 after passing away in London, joining his wife Margaret who was placed there decades earlier.

The history of Kylemore Abbey

The story of Kylemore Abbey is a tragic one that spans over 150 years since the foundation stone was laid by a woman of the name of Margaret Vaughan Henry.

Over the course of 150 years, the Abbey has seen it’s fair share of tragedy, romance, innovation, education and spirituality.

A story that started with love

Kylemore Abbey was constructed as a castle in 1867. Its foundation stone was laid on September 4th, 1867 by Margaret Vaughan Henry.

Margaret was the wife of a Manchester-born fella named Mitchell Henry. Now, although Mitchell was technically English, he claimed that every drop of his blood was Irish.

When the pair married in the mid-1840s, they honeymooned in the west of Ireland. It was during this time that they first laid eyes on a hunting lodge in the valley of Kylemore.

Mitchell was a wealthy man with a vision

When the pair visited the Connemara region for the first time, it was during a period of desperation, hunger and disease.

However, Mitchell could see Connemara’s potential and believed he could drive economic growth to the area.

Mitchell was the son of a wealthy cotton merchant, but he was wealthy in his own right, also. He was a skilled pathologist and eye surgeon and owned a successful practice in the UK.

Then tragedy struck

When his father passed, Mitchell became immensely wealthy and decided to quit his medical career, moving to liberal politics where he believed that he could change the world.

In 1874, a couple of years after Kylemore Abbey was completed, the Henry family took a trip to Egypt. It was while travelling to Egypt that Margaret became ill.

Tragically, nothing could be done to help her and she passed away at just 45 years of age. Margaret’s body was returned to Kylemore where her remains were placed in a red brick mausoleum in the woodlands of the Kylemore estate.

To this day she lays alongside Mitchell in the little Mausoleum in the woods.

The Benedictine Nuns

In 1920, the home was bought by Irish Benedictine Nuns, a community of nuns who had fled to Ypres, Belgium in 1665 to escape religious persecution in Ireland.

After Ypres was heavily bombed during World War I, the nuns has no choice but to flee Belgium and return to Ireland. 

The first Irish Benedictine Abbey in Ireland

They converted the castle into Kylemore Abbey, which became the first Irish Benedictine Abbey in Ireland! The nuns later opened an international boarding school, and a day school for local girls, which ran up until 2010.

In 2015, the abbey partnered with the University of Notre Dame (in the USA), and 100 students moved to the abbey. 

Recent times

In 2022, Kylemore Abbey was accepted into the English Benedictine Congregation, which includes 245 other members. 

Today, the beautiful abbey is one of the most visited attractions in the West of Ireland, with over 500,000 visitors annually!

Things to do nearby

One of the beauties of Kyelmore Abbey is that it’s a short spin away from many of the best places to visit in Connemara.

Personally, I think the best thing to do when you finish up at the Abbey is to follow the Connemara Loop, as pictured on the map above.

It follows a logical route from the Abbey and you’ll visit some of the most beautiful beaches in Galway, like Glassilaun. You could also take the 20-minute drive to Clifden and drive the Sky Road.