Weekend Ireland's Hidden Gem In Connemara

Kylemore Abbey

If you're planning on visiting Connemara National Park, you can't skip Kylemore Abbey. Everyone appreciates the beauty of Connemara National Park. The scenery is renowned for being a sight to behold. So, if you're making your way to Galway for the weekend I strongly suggest taking the 1 hour 20 minute drive to Connemara National Park to bask in all its glory and make sure you take a visit to Kylemore Abbey.

As you make your way through the winding roads of Connemara, the drive alone will be enough to allow you to immerse yourself in one of the most beautiful and picturesque places on our little island. There are some slight differences here than the rest of Ireland. The landscape is a different colour and the lakes are a different shade of blue.

Kylemore Abbey itself is open to be explored and most of it is preserved in its traditional style from when it was an active Abbey. It was originally built as a castle in 1868 but was taken over by Benedictine nuns after their own Abbey in Ypres, Belgium was destroyed during the first world war.

After they acquired the castle they turned it into a boarding school for girls and renovated it into an abbey along with restoring the Gothic church which is down path from the Abbey and the walled gardens. The nuns still reside there today, but have opened the Abbey to visitors as it attracts quite a few from all over the world.

Exploring the beautiful grounds after a drive around Connemara is a great way to spend your afternoon. The Gothic church is small, but absolutely stunning. If you are lucky, like we were, you might get to hear the nuns through the walls practising their hymns.

The walk around the well kept grounds is really something, with little streams and waterfalls flowing into the adjacent lake adding to the scenery. Kids love exploring through the trees and paths off the beaten track. The Victorian walled gardens are a really nice addition to the grounds and add to the exploration of the grounds.

Kylemore Abbey

In the main tourist building you'll find a cafe that serves hot and cold food and some really tasty cakes and sweets. The coffee quite nice too, perfect after your drive. It's clean, and the staff are very friendly.

The gift shop is well stocked and you can purchase anything from Irish history books, clothes, handmade toys, tin whistles along with the usual tourist like key rings etc. They do have some good quality items on sale, so if you want to do a little shopping for some Irish goods bring your wallet.

So, if you're lucky enough to be spending some time in Galway and want to get out of the city and see a little countryside, make your way to Kylemore Abbey. Its a great place to shop, eat and most of all take in your stunning surroundings and of course, make new memories.

Travel time from Galway City: 1 hour 20 minutes by car

Price: €14 for one adult ticket. €10 for Senior Citizens and Students. FREE for kids under 10.

Location: you can find Kylemore Abbey here

If you want to know more about Kylemore Abbey, visit their website here