Kylemore Abbey is a 19th century neo-Gothic style building, set in spectacular scenery on the shores of Lough Kylemore and surrounded by the Twelve Bens reliefs, it is perhaps one of Ireland’s most popular and photographed buildings due to its scenic lakefront location in the middle of the Connemara Heights.
It was originally the residence of the family of Mitchell Henry, financier and Member of Parliament for County Galway. He sold it after the death of his wife and daughter, and the building was converted into an abbey by the Benedictine nuns of Ypres who fled Belgium after the First World War. Today the abbey houses a boarding school for women, and you can visit its huge gardens, restaurant and craft workshop, where you can watch the pottery work.
