Kylemore Abbey from Galway: Exploring Connemara Highlights

Planning A Visit To Kylemore Abbey From Galway

While we were staying in the vibrant city of Galway, my friend and I planned a day trip outside the city to explore the countryside and visit the famous Kylemore Abbey.

We had heard so much about this attraction, and since it was relatively close to Galway city, we decided to check it out for ourselves.

To make things easy, we opted for a guided tour with an expert to explore this countryside and safely get to Kylemore Abbey from Galway. This post outlines what our day looked like and the lovely scenic sights we experienced along the way.

✅ If you would like to see all the sights noted below in this blog, then take the tour that we did. It was a great day with a super local guide, making our visit to Kylemore relaxing and enjoyable. We felt it was the right amount of time to visit the Abbey.

Highlights of Kylemore Abbey & Connemara

Where Is Kylemore Abbey?

The Abbey is in the west of Ireland, within County Galway. The surrounding region is called Connemara.

How Far Is Kylemore Abbey from Galway?

Kylemore Abbey is approximately 90 kms from Galway.

Kylemore Abbey Tours from Galway

There are multiple tours available to visit this location. You have the choice of group or private tours that only visit this historic sight, or you can also take a more comprehensive tour that explores the surrounding area of Connemara and Kylemore Abbey. Below are some options to consider.

✅ This 5-star full-day tour, which took us to Kylemore Abbey, also provided an opportunity to explore the Connemara region and its breathtaking scenery.

✅ If you are short on time, then consider the option of this highly rated private tour. You have control of the itinerary and timing, but since it is only your group, you can cover more ground.

What to do at Kylemore Abbey

There are many things to do on this massive property. How much time you have here will impact the number of sights that you can visit. Below are the spots that we explored.

Tour The Interior of the Abbey

Kylemore Castle was originally built in 1868 as a private home for the Henry family, who lived there for 35 years. Unfortunately, the wife, Margaret Henry, died only a few years after the castle was completed, but her husband, Mitchell Henry, stayed and raised their family.

It then passed hands to a Duke and Duchess who made many restorations to the property, and then eventually it was taken over by the Benedictine Order of Nuns in 1920. In 1923, the Nuns founded a boarding school in the building, which served as the home to many girls right up until 2010. It was very prestigious and known the world over, welcoming students from a variety of countries.

While it is no longer a standard school, the University of Notre Dame in Indiana still uses the school for exchanges, and you will see their flags flown at the building. Other organizations also use the classrooms for math and music instruction, so it maintains some of its educational focus.

Nowadays, visitors can tour the main floor of the property while the Benedictine Nuns still live upstairs. It is a well laid out self-directed tour that explains the history of the property and its evolution over the years. 

You can see spaces such as the drawing room, library, study and dining room. They are beautifully restored with furnishings and decor to the original time. Interesting touches, like what menu would have been served during that period, are on view and help you to understand how these people lived at during this time. We thought it was a charming way to explore this grand building.

When you come out of the building, be sure to take the opportunity to enjoy the magnificent views across the lake. The vistas are just stunning!

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Explore The Victorian Walled Gardens

At one end of the property, there is a six acre garden. We recommend taking the complimentary shuttle bus to the entry of the gardens just to save some time. While we have seen other private gardens such as Muckross House in Killarney and Jardim Jose do Canto in Ponta Delgada, this garden is significantly larger! 

It was started originally at the same time the house was built, and required 40 gardeners to care for it. Once Margaret Henry died, unfortunately, the garden fell into disrepair, only to be partially revived by the Nuns for growing vegetables to support the school.

After many years of neglect, in the 1990s, a massive project was undertaken to revive the gardens, and a decision was made to maintain authenticity by only having species that pre-dated 1901, making it very challenging to accomplish! The result is a spectacular collection of plants that are switched in Spring and Summer.

Here you can see formal flower gardens, glass greenhouses, vegetable and herb gardens, rock gardens, and of course, a fernery that is a signature component of a Victorian garden. Personally, I could have stayed all day in these gardens exploring the plethora of plants that have been lovingly arranged here. It is certainly worth planning some time to see.

After touring these two significant locations, we headed to the restaurant to have a quick lunch. They had excellent fresh options to choose from, and we felt they were reasonably priced.

There is a lot more to see on the grounds, including a Gothic church, a Mausoleum, a waterfall, ponies and numerous walking trails around the property. You can see the map below that shows how expansive the property is, so keep that in mind when planning your visit.

Notable Connemara Sights

The region of Connemara is gorgeous, and our tour took us to several different stops to break up the drive and give us an opportunity to see some of the other sights of the area.

The Stunning Scenery

The area of Connemara is very large, spilling across 2000 hectares and is a designated National Park. It encompasses some stunning scenery, including the Twelve Bens Mountain Range (bens meaning peaks). We were in awe of the beauty of this area as we were driven through it, and our guide told us there are many hiking and climbing trails available to explore.

There are also numerous lakes within this region, mostly with freshwater but also some that have saltwater that has crept in from the sea. Connemara Lakes are very picturesque made more-so by the reflection of the mountains in the water.

Here we also saw one of the three glacial fjords in Ireland, called Killary Fjord. Stretching 16kms long, this is a spectacular spot to see and has wildlife like seals and otters popping up in the water. This is also a popular spot for mussel farms, so you can see the tops of the traps breaking through the surface.

Along with the fjord is another area carved by glaciers called Mamm Valley (mamm meaning mountain pass). This is yet another area popular for hikers who love the extraordinary scenery, and it reminds us of the areas around the Ring of Kerry.

Aughnanure Castle

This is a fascinating place where you can see the remains of a 15th-century medieval tower and several outbuildings. The deliberate location was built on Lough Corrib by the O’Flahertys and was used as a strategic location during the Cromwell defence. This castle shows how powerful the family was at that time, based on its size and important location along the water.

This is considered the best intact medieval structure in the area, and it is evident in some of the intricate carvings that are still visible in the archways and window wells. 

It is a terrific place to check out and see a piece of history. You can only imagine how grand it must have been when originally constructed.

Clifden Town and Clifden Castle

The little harbour town of Clifden is a perfect place to stop for a break. The colourful streets have many quaint shops, restaurants and pubs. The people are friendly and openly welcome you into their establishments.  It’s Irish hospitality at its best. 

We stopped here and enjoyed browsing the shops, and purchased a few souvenirs.

About 2 1/2 kms from Clifton, be sure to check out the ruins of Clifden Castle. Set in the hills of a pretty valley, this castle dates from 1812 and was built by the Darcy family. All that remains is the outer shell of the building, but it is still striking to see.

It takes a little walk down from the main road to reach the castle, but once there, you can explore the inside, which has trees and vines growing across the walls, making it very visually interesting. The views of the surrounding green slopes dotted with sheep and the lake vista are truly spectacular. Definitely plan to see this hidden gem!

Is Kylemore Abbey Worth Visiting?

We were very happy that we took the time to visit Kylemore Abbey. Seeing this iconic building and gardens made for a most enjoyable day. The grounds and Irish countryside that you travel through to reach it are remarkable, and we think it is truly worth a visit.

Where To Stay In Galway

We highly recommend spending some time in Galway. It is a fabulous city with a great vibe and lots to see on its own. It is a perfect location from which to take a Kylemore Abbey day tour. Here are some suggestions for properties where you can stay.

We chose to stay at the Victoria Hotel, which had a great location and comfortable rooms. There was also a restaurant and bar on-site.

If you prefer a property with more services, check out The Galmont Hotel and Spa. Here they have lovely views of the water, swimming pool, fitness centre and spa. It is a great location to reach many of the sights of the city.

The Final Word…Visiting Kylemore Abbey From Galway

If you are planning your itinerary to include some time on the Wild Atlantic Way, make sure you explore the rugged beauty of Connemara, topped with a visit to the exquisite Kylemore Abbey. 

For more resources in this area, read our blogs about the Cliffs of Moher and the City of Galway.