Kylemore Abbey

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!

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 Café 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 purée 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

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.

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.