A must stop!! The abbey is beautiful inside & out. Take the shuttle up to the gardens to see the white ponies and pigs as well as the gorgeous gardens. Plan to spend at least 2-3 hours here. read more

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Short walk from Kylemore and from gardens Check schedule because there is beautiful music Cafe nearby read more

This abbey might be the most beautiful place in Ireland. I first visited it when I was eight years old and it's still so vividly in my memory. Returning this month as an adult was incredible. We were able to see an eight week old baby horse! The gardens are exquisite. read more

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The Kylemore Abbey, Church, and gardens were beautiful! Staff was so friendly and helpful. They do history talks a few times a day inside the Abbey, and those that was so interesting! Also recommend eating lunch there as they have traditional Irish stew, baked breads, soups, sandwiches, and the most fantastic apple pie. The gardens are beautiful and the shuttle was easy to navigate. If you have time, make sure to get a tea or coffee at the tea room by the gardens! We spent about 3 hours here since it's pretty expansive! Don't forget to stop along the way there and take in the beauty of the Connemara National Park surrounding you and ALL the sheep! read more

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When our tour group stopped here at the Kylemore Abbey I had no idea what this place was or the history. It was like stepping back in time. From the beautiful castle overlooking the lake (lot's of great photos) to the many acres of the victorian garden. Since we already had tickets we bypassed the line and walked right in. Make sure to get a map of the grounds. We took the free shuttle up to the top of the gardens and walked down. So many rows of flowers, trees, vegetables and fruit tress all over the grounds. Everything is labeled, some really interesting trees and plants I've never heard of. Walked through a few greenhouses, they definitely take great care of everything growing here. With so many walking paths you could spend a lot of time here. The castle was one of my favorites to visit, a self guides tour takes you through many restored rooms. The entrance hall has all this oak panels, very pretty with all the natural light coming through the windows and ceiling. Amazing grand staircase is another highlight. The drawing room was really impressive with a Italian marble fireplace, so much detail. We only had a few hours to spend here, but we made the most of it. Worth a visit. read more

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What's a trip to Ireland without visiting an elaborate castle? This one is not that old, dating back to 1867, but it is stately with 70 rooms covering 40,000 square feet (see photo). I'm amazed there are only four bathrooms for 33 bedrooms. It's no wonder the Duke and Duchess of Manchester had to sell it to the Benedictine nuns in 1920. I'm sure they couldn't hold it in any longer. The nuns were from Belgium and escaping the devastation of World War I. Apparently they ran a girls' boarding school that was in operation until just two years ago. What's left is a well-tended tourist attraction worth an Instagram or two. I was on a bus tour and consequently under the gun to figure out how best to see the grounds. Under a torrential downpour, I took the shuttle bus that saved me a 20-minute, sock-soaked hike to the walled, manicured Victorian gardens (see photo). The hike to the Gothic cathedral and Mitchell Henry family mausoleum (see photos) was more laborious since the rain started to get aggressive playing havoc with my collapsible umbrella. But it also brought out a certain beauty in the surroundings, especially the random series of waterfalls pouring down the surrounding mountains. But for all this aristocratic Downton Abbey-type ambiance, the real highlight of this stop was Mitchell's Cafe next to the parking lot. Because I was so efficient in my coverage of the estate, I had time to get lunch from the cafeteria. I had a nice € 4.50 bowl of Tomato Soup with a humongous scone that I managed to nibble on (see photo) followed by what was maybe the best meal on my trip, the € 10.95 Irish Beef & Guinness Stew which was chock full of tender beef chunks with a whipped sweet potato puree and a couple of hearty scoops of a parsnip mash (see photo). That was delicious comfort food fit for a Duke or at least a Belgian nun with a ruler. FOOD - 4.5 stars...the best stew I had in Ireland AMBIANCE - 4 stars...lovely grounds if you don't mind hiking during a thunderstorm SERVICE - 2.5 stars...it was a cafeteria...and I'm not sure I saw any docents on the grounds TOTAL - 4 stars...the stew trumps the abbey...seriously read more

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If you love history, architecture, furniture, beautiful scenery, a light walk, and especially if you're devout in some way, this is a beautiful, educational way to spend an 2 hours. Aside from the picturesque experience that feels as though it was made for tourists, it is also a working Benedictine Nunnery. You will find tons of Nun-made goods there in the gift shop. Don't second guess buying tix for the tour. It's worth it. But if you decide against it, pics from the parking lot are pretty fab. read more

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Such a beautiful Abbey in the Co Galway country side. It's tucked away in some mountains and rest on the bank of a gorgeous lake. It costs about 12 Euro to tour the grounds and the Abbey itself as well as a gothic church a short walk down the road. Because the abbey is still being used, I didn't end up going inside. The outside of Kylemore Abbey is so beautiful with its old architecture, I didn't want it to be ruined by modern technology inside. So I just stuck to looking at it from the parking lot. The photo I uploaded here was taken with my phone right at the entrance so you still get a beautiful shot of the abbey from there. read more

Kylemore Abbey - Kylemore Abbey - Churches Near Me

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Gorgeous from the outside and the surrounds are just beautiful. It was pointless exploring the inside as you are only allowed in a handful of rooms and I must say it was very disappointing. The tea room on location is great and they have nice cakes and desserts. read more

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Kylemore Abbey looks like something straight out of a fairy tale with the classic architecture, the surrounding trees, and the lake reflecting it all. The pictures don't do it justice. It was very picturesque but the rest of the visit was a bit lackluster. There is a Victorian walled garden that you can either walk to or take the provided shuttle. The shuttle comes very intermittently and gets crowded even when the abbey itself wasn't busy at all. You can also take a short self guided tour of the abbey, visit the mausoleum, and go inside the Gothic church. I found the gardens and the different structures anti climatic. You can only see a couple of the rooms inside the abbey and one of them is filled with a historic timeline. I expected more for a 12 euro entrance fee. If you are in the area, visit for the picture across the lake but otherwise I'd skip it. 2.5 stars. read more

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Incredibly picturesque. If you were looking for the iconic Irish castle surrounded by water and greenery, this is it! The gardens are absolutely fabulous and just a bonus. Nice walking paths and plenty to see. Knowledgeable visitor center, nice gift shop, nice café. A must stop if you are in the area read more

We visited Kylemore Abbey on the rainiest day of our Irish vacation. The grounds were absolutely stunning. The abbey itself, small gothic church, Victorian walled gardens, walking paths, everything was just beautiful and well maintained. Unfortunately they were not able to take credit cards on the day we visited, the system was unexpectedly down, so we weren't able to shop or really check out the restaurants. We did however have coffee, hot chocolate, pie and tart at the little lunch shop at the bust stop at the gardens. We were soggy when we finished our day at Kylemore Abbey, but we're glad we didn't let the rain stop us. read more

Kylemore Abby was a great day. My husband and I walked all of it even from the castle to the walled garden. The walk was about a mile - a good stretch of the legs. Totally worth it. We also are at the little kitchen on property and the food was excellent. Very nice day. read more

Spectacular setting. Excellent gift shop with a wide selection of clothing and a excellent lunch room. The quiche is to remarkable and the pastries remind one of Paris. read more

Super cool from the outside, which is the main draw. The views of the abbey, the lake and the nearby grounds are spectacular. However the inside is small and not all that impressive given the redecorations done a century ago. The tour of the abbey itself is brief but interesting. Kylemore doesn't have quite as stunning a history as other institutions, but it's a worthwhile listen. The nearby gardens (1 km walk or a short bus ride) are also quite pretty and worth a visit, but they're a bit smaller than expected and won't take long to see! read more

Very disappointed in this place. The grounds were lovely very nice walk outside but we were only allowed access to 4 rooms in the Abbey. The gift shop is extremely over priced. Unless you visit in the spring the gardens are sad. read more

Absolutely breathtaking spot on my road trip around Ireland this year. Very informative about the history of the house, as well as it's vital importance during the war. Grounds are meticulously maintained, and the Victorian walled gardens were stunning. An absolute must see on any trip up to Connemara National Park. read more

The good: The bathrooms were clean and had a lot of stalls for women. They had gluten free options readily available but the food is only okay. (It is the only option for lunch nearby so you are stuck with what you get.) The grounds and vistas and views of the place are absolutely stunning. The bad: There was scaffolding outside the castle and we were not told that so it really messes with your photographic options. You only get to see two rooms of the castle itself. They really push for you to visit the gardens. There is no shuttle or bus to the church. The gift shop is quite overpriced. read more

Beautiful Castle, but you don't get to see much of it. There is a beautiful Gothic church on the property. My favorite part was the gardens. It was very disappointing to only see a few of the rooms downstairs and nothing upstairs, in the Castle. Had we known that we may have chose a different Castle tour. Great gift shops. read more

Is under construction for needed repairs but still beautiful. I can't blame the Sisters for restricting access to the few rooms available because it is still their home. The rooms available are magnificent and well maintained. History is readily available. Gothic church is beautiful and the mausoleum heartbreaking. Gardens are beautiful. The fresh food made with fresh ingredients was a plus. Be sure to look up on the mountain to see the Sacred Heart sculpture of Christ. read more

Stunning castle. Elaborate. Interesting history. The Gothic Church beautiful. The grounds are lovely. A must see on any visit to Ireland. I love this magical Abbey!! read more