KYLEMORE ABBEY Commemorates The 100 Year Anniversary Of Mitchell Henry
KYLEMORE ABBEY commemorates the 100 year anniversaryof the death of Mitchell Henry with FREE ENTRY to the estate.
--- Lecture by leading historian.
--- Drama music and dance performance.
Kylemore Abbey will be commemorating the 100 year anniversary of the death of Mitchell Henry this weekend 27th-28th November. Mitchell Henry began building Kylemore castle in 1867 as a gift for his wife Margaret.
The iconic image of the castle - with the backdrop of the mountain reflected on the lake - is an image recognised around the world and is often used to portray the beauty and romance of Ireland.
Kylemore today is home to a Benedictine Community of nuns and is the largest tourist destination in the west of Ireland. Open all year round, Kylemore has welcomed visitors and students from around the world. Mitchell's cafe, named after Mitchell Henry, offers homemade food made to the recipes of the Benedictine nuns and using fresh vegetables from the walled garden. The craft shop stocks a wide range of Irish products and Christmas gifts made at Kylemore such as, Christmas puddings, Kylemore pottery and chocolates and soaps made by the Benedictine nuns.
Mitchell Henry and his bride honeymooned in Connemara in the 1850s and fell in love with the beauty of the landscape. On the death of his father, a Manchester cotton merchant, and on receipt of a sizeable inheritance, Mitchell Henry abandoned his career in medicine and turned to business and politics. He used his inheritance to purchase an estate at Kylemore and construct the magnificent castle, complete with gardens, walks and woodlands which eventually covered 15,000 acres of land at a cost of little over £18,000.
The Kylemore estate, like the rest of Connemara, was made up of mountain, lakes and bog. In keeping with his policy of improvement and advancement, Henry began reclaiming bog land almost immediately and encouraged his tenants to do likewise.
Over forty years under Mitchell Henry's guiding thousands of acres of waste land were transformed into the productive Kylemore Estate. He developed the Kylemore estate as a commercial and political experiment and the result brought material and social benefits to the entire region and left a lasting impression on the landscape and on the memory of the local people.
Mitchell Henry introduced many improvements for the people who were recovering from the Great Famine, providing work, shelter and later a school for his workers' children. He represented Galway in the House of Commons for 14 years.
To commemorate the Mitchell Henry centenary, Kylemore Abbey will be offering free entry to the estate on 27th and 28th November.
Free entry to play in the Gothic Church
Husband and wife duo, Sean Coyne and Tegolin Knowland will be performing their play, "Kylemore - from Castle to Abbey" in the Gothic Church at 4pm on Saturday 27th November. The performance is a dramatised history of Kylemore told through drama, music and dance.
“The play has been updated this year to include the closure of the school and new direction Kylemore has taken” explained Sean Coyne who will be performing the play. “The Gothic Church is a wonderful venue with excellent acoustics. Performing a play in a building which relates to the story brings the play alive. The play was first performed around 15 years ago in the Gothic Church and it is great to return to this super venue. “
Written and Directed By B. A. Knowland
Performed by Tegolin Knowland and Sean Coyne
Commissioned By Brian Deane (married to Gary Daly, past pupil of Kylemore )
Performed by Tegolin Knowland and Sean Coyne
Commissioned By Brian Deane (married to Gary Daly, past pupil of Kylemore )
Free entry. Early arrival is advised as admission will be based on a first come first served basis.
Lecture - The Life of Mitchell Henry
Sunday 28th November at 3pm
Writer and historian Kathleen Villiers-Tuthill will give an hour long talk about the life of Mitchell Henry including his connection with Kylemore and his contribution to the political and social landscape of Connemara.
Free entry. Early arrival is advised.
For more details of the Mitchell Henry Commemorations contact Bríd Connell at Kylemore Abbey at 095 52029 or email brid@kylemoretourism.ie .