Kylemore Abbey

Top choice in Connemara


Photogenically perched on the shores of Pollacapall Lough, 4km east of Letterfrack, Kylemore is a crenellated 19th-century neo-Gothic fantasy. It was built for a wealthy English businessman, Mitchell Henry, who spent his honeymoon in Connemara. Ground-floor rooms are open to visitors, and you can wander down to the lake and the Gothic church. Admission includes entry to the extravagant Victorian walled gardens, around a 20-minute walk away (linked by a free shuttle bus from April to October).

Run by Benedictine nuns, the abbey served as the Kylemore Abbey School from 1923 to 2010, teaching Catholic girls. There's a cafe and a teahouse on the grounds, which also offer hikes and woodland walks.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Connemara attractions

1. Connemara National Park

2.39 MILES

Immediately southeast of Letterfrack, Connemara National Park spans 2000 dramatic hectares of bog, mountains, heath and woodlands.

2. DK Connemara Oysters

3.95 MILES

On these hour-long tours you'll get a real sense of the skill and sheer hard work that goes into producing Connemara's famous oysters. Then try your hand…

3. Connemara Heritage & History Centre

5.75 MILES

Farmer Dan O'Hara lived here in the 1840s until his eviction from the farm and subsequent emigration to New York, where he ended up selling matches on the…

4. Station House Museum

7.32 MILES

Located in a former train shed, this small, absorbing museum has displays on the local ponies and pivotal aspects of Clifden's history, including the…

5. Sheep & Wool Centre

8.4 MILES

On Leenane's main street, just north of the bridge, sits a compelling little museum dedicated to sheep and wool. It has spinning and weaving…

6. Derrigimlagh Discovery Point

8.85 MILES

A wealth of interactive exhibits dot this 5km scenic loop walk around windswept bogland: crystal radio sets let you listen to recordings from the 1907…

7. Aasleagh Falls

9.85 MILES

The tumbling waters of these low, wide waterfalls are framed by a series of rapids and pools, where you're likely to see salmon fishers trying their luck…

8. Roundstone Musical Instruments

11.77 MILES

At the village's southern edge, you can watch Malachy Kearns, Ireland's only full-time maker of traditional bodhráns, handcrafting goat-skin drums in his…