Gardens at Kylemore Abbey Ireland

My mother’s name was Clancy and every St. Patrick’s Day we would wake up to Irish tunes, jump out of bed, and dance. It was the happiest day of the year!

We often talked about taking a trip to explore the emerald isle. We dreamed of the dramatic coastland, the green rolling hills dotted with sheep, but most of all – the gardens.

My Mom never made it to Ireland, but last year my son organized a trip for us, and we were on our way. It was even more beautiful than I ever imagined!

One portion of our journey was to Kylemore Abbey in Connemara, Ireland. The Kylemore Castle was built in 1868 as a private home for the family of Mitchell Henry. In 1920, it became a Benedictine Monastery for the nuns who fled Belgium in World War 1. You can read the history of the Kylemore Abbey here.

The day we toured the grounds there was a steady rain falling, but we still spent a couple of hours outside walking the grounds of the Walled Victorian Gardens. The gardens include a kitchen garden that would feed the household and staff, and a flower garden. The original walled garden was laid out by head gardener, James Garnier in 1870.  A complete restoration began in 1995.

Please enjoy a small sample of what the gardens held for us. We visited the gardens at the end of September.

I will forever be grateful for the gift of this trip! This garden was just one of many gardens that make Ireland such a beautiful place.

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