Kylemore Castle

Kylemore Castle, in Connemara, County Galway, Ireland is a very serene place. The castle was built in the late 1860s as a private estate for the family of Mitchell Henry. Mitchell was a wealthy doctor from London. His wealth originated from his family's involvement in textile manufacturing in Manchester. After World War I the castle was purchased for Benedictine Nuns who fled Belgium during the war. The nuns operated a boarding school for girls (international and local) on the grounds through the first decade of this century. The Castle grounds also include the Henry family Gothic cathedral, the family mausoleum, and a walled Victorian garden, all of which continue to be maintained by the nuns.