The Neo-Gothic church beside Lough Pollacapull, Kylemore Abbey, near Letterfrack, Connemara, Co. Galway, Ireland

$The Neo-Gothic church beside Lough Pollacapull, Kylemore Abbey, near Letterfrack, Connemara, Co. Galway, Ireland$

            Kylemore Castle was built in 1863–68, on a site visited during his honeymoon, as the home of Mitchell Henry, a Manchester surgeon and industrialist who became the MP for Co. Galway 1871–85.
In 1875, his Irish wife Margaret died, aged 45, and Henry visited Kylemore less.

However, he did have this memorial church built in a quiet location near the house, incorporating the grandeur of a neo-Gothic cathedral into a chapel seating ~80. In 1910, Mitchell Henry rejoined Margaret in the neighbouring mausoleum.

Though the exterior is in a grey stone complementing its surroundings, the church's interior uses warm Caen sandstone and pillars of coloured marble from all four provinces of Ireland.

The house and 6,070-ha estate were bought by the Duke and Duchess of Manchester in 1903, but resold in 1920 to meet gambling debts.

During the First World War, Irish Benedictine nuns based in Ypres, Belgium since 1665 were forced to flee their abbey, initially being evacuated to England before buying Kylemore Castle. The new abbey became an international boarding school for catholic girls (including locals as day pupils), until the school closed in 2010. The Abbey remains a convent, and also a tourist attraction in a beautiful location beside Connemara National Park, itself incorporating the old Kylemore Estate.
Unsurprisingly, the Anglican church was converted to catholicism, and several nuns are buried in the churchyard.

The slope behind the Abbey rises steeply to Doughruagh, a 526 m secondary peak of Garraun.  The church is overlooked by the crag of Leim na h’Eilte (the Deer's Leap), of mythological significance.

Taken in: Ireland / Connaught / Tullywee Bridge (show map)

Taken on: October 8, 2017

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Sets appears in: • Ireland

Groups appears in: • Connacht • Lakes and Reservoirs more » • ireland pics • Galway is Beautiful • Lakes 'n' Lochs • Áilleacht Éireann ~ The Beauty of Ireland « less

Camera: Canon EOS 60D, f/11.0, 1/60 sec, 79mm, ISO 160 (more info) (hide info)

Camera:	Canon EOS 60D
Lens:	EF-S55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS
Aperture:	f/11.0
Exposure Time:	0.017 sec (1/60)
Focal Length:	79mm
ISO:	160
Exposure Bias:	-1/3 EV
Flash:	Off, Did not fire
Exposure Program:	Aperture-priority AE
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