Orig­i­nal­ly known as Kyle­more Cas­tle, this fan­tas­tic for­ti­fi­ca­tion in the west of Ire­land was turned into a Bene­dic­tine monastery by Bel­gian nuns flee­ing the fight­ing of World War I. Built in 1868 to be the pri­vate home of a wealthy doc­tor, the Vic­­to­ri­an-style build­ings and Goth­ic church of the estate are beau­ti­ful­ly reflect­ed in the waters of Pol­la­ca­pall Lough.

With delight­ful moun­tains, reflec­tive lakes, and gush­ing rivers all around it, Kyle­more Abbey has long been one of Coun­ty Galway’s most pop­u­lar attrac­tions, and many peo­ple come to stroll around its land­scaped gar­dens.