The Early Beginnings (1598 – 1680)

The Benedictine nuns of Kylemore Abbey have a long history, beginning at Brussels in 1598.

In the late 1500s, following the suppression of religious houses in the British Isles, many British Catholics left England and opened monastic houses in Europe. A number of monasteries originated from one Benedictine house in Brussels, founded by Lady Mary Percy in 1598.

Houses founded from Lady Mary’s house in Brussels were at Cambray in France (now Stanbrook, England) and at Ghent (now Oulton Abbey, Staffordshire). Ghent, in turn, founded several Benedictine Houses, one of which was at Ypres, in Belgium, established in 1665. Through the centuries, Ypres Abbey attracted the daughters of Irish nobility, as students and postulants. The Abbey enjoyed the patronage of influential Irish families living in exile from religious persecution, and was formally made over to the Irish nation in 1682.

Turbulent Times (1680 – 1920)

Known as The Irish Dames of Ypres, the Benedictine nuns moved to Dublin in 1688 at the request of King James II but returned to Ypres following James’s defeat at the Battle of the Boyne in 1690.

After more than two centuries in Ypres, educating women and living their Benedictine lives of prayer and spirituality, their Abbey was destroyed in the early days of World War I.

The nuns fled as refugees first to England, later to Macmine, Co. Wexford, before eventually buying Kylemore Castle in Connemara and settling in Kylemore in December 1920.

Arrival to Kylemore (1920 – 2020)

On 4 December 1920, the Irish Dames of Ypres arrived at Kylemore, refugees seeking a new home for their monastic life after the destruction of their home in Ypres.

At Kylemore, they continued their Benedictine mission in education – establishing an international boarding school and educating local girls. The school achieved international renown, attracting students from Ireland, Europe, Asia and the USA.

In 2010, the School closed, but the Benedictine nuns continued their work in education through music programmes, spiritual retreats and an innovative partnership with the University of Notre Dame. In 2016 the University of Notre Dame Global Centre opened at Kylemore as a residential centre for students and faculty.

The Benedictine nuns remain committed stewards of Kylemore: running a farm and guesthouse, developing tourism and craft enterprises which generate employment for the local area; leading award-winning restoration programmes of the Walled Gardens, Gothic Church and the Castle, while welcoming thousands of visitors to their shared home.

Vision for the Future

With the closure of the School in 2010 our monastic community developed a new Vision for the Future. With contemplative monastic life at the heart of Kylemore, we continue to be stewards of the Kylemore Estate, trying to actualise our commitment to Integral Ecology and the values emphasized in Pope Francis’ encyclical letter “Laudato Si’”. We continue to develop Kylemore Abbey as a successful visitor enterprise in order to preserve its rich heritage and to generate income for the upkeep and restoration of the Estate.

The year 2024 will see the beginning of a new chapter for the Benedictine Community with the opening of its new purpose-built Monastery and Education & Residential Retreat Centre, with capacity for 80 day delegates and up to 20 residential places.