The Neo-Gothic Church at Kylemore Abbey stands beside Lough Pollacappul in the mountains of Connemara, County Galway. Architect James Franklin Fuller designed this “miniature cathedral,” which was built between 1877 and 1881 as a memorial from Mitchell Henry to his wife, Margaret. The sandstone church has a bell tower, pointed arches, carved angels, birds, and flowers instead of the frightening gargoyles commonly associated with Gothic buildings (National Inventory of Architectural Heritage [NIAH], n.d.). Science-lovers may especially enjoy its interior pillars, made from green Connemara marble, black Kilkenny marble, red Cork marble, and white Tyrone marble—a colorful display of Ireland’s varied geological materials (Kylemore Abbey, n.d.-a).
The church is about a five-minute walk from Kylemore Abbey and is included in the wider estate experience, along with the abbey, woodland paths, mausoleum, and Victorian Walled Garden. Kylemore is approximately 20 minutes by road from Clifden, 50 minutes from Westport, and 1 hour 25 minutes from Galway City; visitors should check current opening hours and accessibility information before traveling (Kylemore Abbey, n.d.-b). An interesting historical fact is that the church began as an Anglican place of worship but was rededicated as a Catholic church after Benedictine nuns settled at Kylemore in 1920. Although vaults were built beneath it, neither Mitchell nor Margaret was buried there; they rest together in a small woodland mausoleum nearby. After years of deterioration, the church was restored and officially reopened in 1995 by Irish President Mary Robinson (Kylemore Abbey, n.d.-a).
References:
Kylemore Abbey. (n.d.-a). Neo-Gothic Church architecture & events.
Kylemore Abbey. (n.d.-b). Kylemore Abbey & Victorian Walled Garden.
National Inventory of Architectural Heritage. (n.d.). Kylemore Abbey, Pollacappul, Galway
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