Kylemore Abbey Marks 25 Years Since the Restoration of Its Historic Victorian Walled Garden

This Monday, October 13^th, team members from across the estate gathered to celebrate a very special milestone: 25 years since the garden’s remarkable restoration was complete. The event took place in Kylemore’s Victorian Walled Garden.

Thanks to the dedication of the Benedictine Community, the knowledgeable leadership of Head Gardener Anja Gohlke, and the skill of the gardening team both past and present, the six-acre Victorian Walled Garden- once over grown after decades of neglect, has been lovingly restored into one of Ireland’s most beautiful heritage gardens.

Speaking at the event, Sister Magdelena FitzGibbon and Head Gardener Anja Gohlke shared the inspiring story of the garden’s evolution, from its origins under Mitchell Henry in the late 1800s to its revival in the late 1990s. They honoured the numerus hands that helped bring the garden back to life, protecting an important aspect of Kylemore’s history for future generations.

The Walled Garden’s closure was marked by a beautiful new daily tradition: Sister Magdelena and Ulick, who worked through the restoration and has been a gardener at Kylemore for 26 years, rang the bell above the garden gate to mark the occasion.

The celebration served as an important reminder of the garden’s progress over the past 25 years: a thriving environment, filled with colour, craftmanship, and care. As a living example of the Benedictine ethos that permeates every aspect of Kylemore Abbey, it still thrives today as a functioning garden as well as place of peace, connection, and beauty.