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Kylemore Abbey


The Kylemore Abbey is a surreal fairytale castle that is filled with historical relics from the Victorian time period. The grounds are filled with lavish gardens, nature trails, a beautiful gothic church, and pigs you can feed! The castle itself is 40,000 square feet and has over 70 different rooms. In total, there 1,000 acers to explore, and all the gorgeous sights make it easy to lose track of time. I frankly could have spent hours there exploring the grounds of the spectacular estate.

Unfortunately, you couldn't see much in the house. I wish were able to see more of the bedrooms and upper levels of the house. However, the gardens did not disappoint. Even though the flowers were no in bloom yet, the place was absolutely gorgeous. I wish I was able to spend more time outside and explore the different nature trails they had there. I was able to see the main gardens and the pigs, so I definitely got my nature fill for the day. The gothic church was also a sight to behold. The outer design was so intricate, and the inside was just a detailed. 

While walking around the estate, there was a William Yeats poem that popped in my head; it is titled The Wild Swans and Coole. This poem explores these of change, the passage of time and the natural world. Some of the lines that resonated with me the most were:

"The woodland paths are dry,"

"Under the October twilight the water"

"Mirrors a still sky;"

"Upon the brimming water among the stones"

"Are nine-and-fifty swans."

Swans are also a recurring image in his poetry and although I personally didn't see any, the lake in front of Kylemore Abbey frequently has swans floating around during the warmer months. The lines about the woodland paths and the brimming water among the stones are also a perfect description of some of the nature you can see there. Overall, this was an amazing stop and somewhere I highly recommend everyone visit at least once.


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