Kylemore abbey
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Kylemore Abbey is an intensely romantic place, an enchanted fairy-tale castle in the neo-Gothic style that stands dramatically at the foot of a barren mountain in a remote and beautiful part of Connemara – its numerous battlemented and machicolated towers and turrets reflected in the waters of the lake below.
The castle was built between 1863 and 1868 for Mitchell Henry (1826 – 1911), a highly successful Manchester financier and MP. The story of its building began in 1852 when Henry was on honeymoon with his bride Margaret Vaughan of Quilly House, County Down. Stopping near Kylemore Pass for an al fresco lunch, the young Mrs Henry looked up and saw a small shooting-box on the opposite hillside, the only dwelling in sight, and exclaimed: “How l would love to live there”. Ten years later, Mitchell Henry, by now a rich tycoon, purchased the property with its 9,000 acres of moor land, mountain and lake and embarked upon a dream house for his wife.
The building took 5 years and cost over one and a quarter million pounds – a staggering sum in those days. The completed castle was on a “Citizen Kane” scale, boasting many splendid reception rooms including a ball-room with a sprung floor, a magnificent staircase, a library, a study and 33 bedrooms. There were only 4 bathrooms, but the house was equipped with a Turkish bath, its water pressure ensured by an elaborate system of hydrants. He also built a model farm, laundry, dairy, saw mill, ornate chapel and a Gothic church, which was in part a replica of Norwich Cathedral. There was a 6-acre walled garden and thanks to 3 miles of hot-water piping, 21 greenhouses containing tropical fruit, vineries, peaches, pineries and orangeries. 300 thousand trees were planted a year to protect the castle and gardens from constant gales.
For 10 years the Henrys and their 9 children lived at Kylemore, entertaining on a lavish scale. Tragedy struck in 1875 when Margaret died on a visit to Egypt. She was buried in a mausoleum at Kylemore, but afterwards her husband could no longer bear to spend much time there. Later his daughter Geraldine was killed when driving a pony-trap at Derryinver and shortly afterwards Henry’s financial empire started to collapse. In 1902 Kylemore was acquired for a twentieth of its value by Mr Zimmerman, a Chicago businessman, as a present for his daughter who had married the Duke of Manchester.
Later, in 1910 when Mitchell Henry died, he was buried next to his beloved wife. Benedictine congregation came to Ireland after their abbey was destroyed during the Great War and settled at Kylemore, where they established a famous girl’s school.