Age and Texture
by Marcy Wielfaert
Title
Age and Texture
Artist
Marcy Wielfaert
Medium
Photograph - Photography
Description
While visiting the Connemara region of Ireland, Kylemore Abbey and Gardens are a must see. Kylemore Castle, built in 1868 was originally a private home for the family of Mitchell Henry, a wealthy doctor from London whose family was involved in textile manufacturing in Manchester, England. He moved to Ireland after having traveled there on their honeymoon in the mid 1840's. The castle was designed by James Franklin Fuller, aided by Samuel Ussher Roberts. Construction o began in 1867, and took the total of one hundred men and four years to complete. The castle covered approximately 40,000 square feet and had over seventy rooms, with a principal wall that was two to three feet thick. There were 33 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms, 4 sitting rooms, a ballroom, billiard room, library, study, school room, smoking room, gun room and various offices and domestic staff residences for the butler, cook, housekeeper and other servants. Other buildings on the property include a Gothic church and family mausoleum containing the bodies of Margaret Henry, Mitchell Henry and a great grand-nephew. The castle was sold to the Duke and Duchess of Manchester in 1903, who resided there for several years before being forced to sell the house and grounds because of gambling debts. In 1920, the Irish Benedictine Nuns purchased the Abbey castle and lands after they were forced to flee Ypres during World War I. The nuns offered education to Catholic girls, opening an international boarding school and establishing a day school for girls. The school was in operation until 2010. Since 2015, the Abbey has entered a partnership with the University of Notre Dame hosting academic programs for Notre Dame students until the present time. The Estate includes large walled Victorian Gardens. Since the 1970s these have been open for public tours and 'nature' walks. The Benedictine community has restored the Abbey's gardens and church with donations and local artisans in order to be a self-sustaining estate. I found this portion of the ancient wall around the gardens particularly interesting because of the brick portion that appears to have been added long after the original construction. An iron barred window allows visitors to peek inside but has no entry here. I
Uploaded
July 3rd, 2019
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