Kylemore Abbey & Victorian Walled Garden — Attraction in County Galway

Kylemore Abbey & Victorian Walled Garden is one of the most famous attractions in Connemara, and it’s easy to see why when you see it in person. When you arrive at Kylemore, the first thing you’ll notice is Pollacapall Lough and Kylemore Abbey in the background. Photos you take will instantly look like a postcard with the Abbey and the mountains in the background, and the reflection of the Abbey on the Lough. It’s one of the most beautiful sites, worthy of admiration!

When you visit the Castle, you can access the ground floor which is rich with information: furniture and decor of the day, Victorian fashion exhibited on mannequins, audio-visual displays which highlight stories and information of the Abbey and it’s residents, and text-based information displays.

When you visit Kylemore, you can take a shuttle bus from the from the Abbey which runs every 15 minutes, or you can take a scenic 20 minute woodland walk to arrive at the gardens. Personally I enjoyed taking the walk through the woodlands and enjoying the view of the surrounding forests, mountains and the river. There are also information boards on display giving information of specific features of the walk.

When you arrive at the Walled Gardens, there is a tea room available which serves welcome refreshments and homemade food. You can also admire the Connemara Ponies which graze the nearby field.

At the Abbey there is also a Craft Shop, Pottery Studio and Restaurant that can be enjoyed.

At the time of writing this, the entrance for an adult costs €15 and is well worth the cost for the experience of visiting Kylemore.

In conclusion I’d say with surety that adding Kylemore Abbey to my Connemara itinerary was a valuable experience that I won’t...

Magnificent abbey, garden and park. Although it is visited by many tourists, you don't really need to buy the tickets online. We went there a Friday afternoon and there was zero queue. The abbey is still inhabited by the sisters but a monastery is being built now for them to relocate around mid 2024. So that would give tourists a chance to see even more of this beautiful abbey. During our previous visits of the abbey we very much enjoyed the guided tour that is always a better way to get stories about the place. Nowadays there is no more tour :(( it's been replaced by signs, posters and videos. Still, we very much enjoyed visiting the abbey and got some nice stories on the way. There is a shuttle that goes back and forth between the abbey and the wall garden. While the garden is something that was something kept hidden from visitors in the past as it was not proper not considered elegant, nowadays, you must see it ;) It's so beautiful and full of ingenuity with those green houses and heated pipes going across the garden powered by 3 very large water boilers. Can you imagine the production of tropical fruit in Ireland?! The garden house is also nice to visit. There are many walking paths beyond the wall garden so you can spend hours in the abbey. To my surprise I learnt from the shuttle driver that the invention of radio communication by Guglielmo Marconi happened in the small garden shed building that is falling apart located behind the roundabout where the shuttle turns near the abbey. I would love for the abbey to take care a lot more for that site, advertise it, and give stories about it. It is part of the...

If you ever find yourself wandering the wild beauty of Connemara and stumble upon Kylemore Abbey and its Victorian Walled Garden, prepare to be utterly enchanted. This place isn't just a feast for the eyes; it's a full-course banquet of history, horticulture, and heart.

Built between 1867 and 1871 by Mitchell Henry as a grand romantic gesture for his wife Margaret, Kylemore Castle (now Abbey) is the stuff of fairy tales. Tragically, Margaret passed away in 1874, but her legacy lives on in the Gothic chapel Henry built in her memory—a miniature cathedral adorned with Irish marble and angelic carvings.

The six-acre Victorian Walled Garden, developed alongside the castle, was a marvel of its time, boasting 21 heated glasshouses and a team of 40 gardeners. Divided by a mountain stream, the garden features formal flower beds, fruit trees, and vegetable plots, all cultivated with plant varieties from the Victorian era.

After falling into disrepair, the garden was lovingly restored starting in 1995, thanks to the efforts of the Benedictine nuns who have called Kylemore home since 1920. Their dedication transformed the overgrown wilderness back into the vibrant, structured paradise it once was.

Today, Kylemore Abbey and its gardens offer a serene escape, blending natural beauty with rich history. Whether you're a history buff, a gardening enthusiast, or simply in search of tranquility, this destination delivers. It's a living testament to love, resilience, and the enduring charm of Ireland's heritage.

Five stars? Absolutely. Kylemore doesn't just deserve them—it earns them,...