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

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

Thanks to the dedication of the Benedictine Community, theknowledgeable leadership of Head Gardener Anja Gohlke, and the skill of the gardeningteam both past and present, the six-acre Victorian Walled Garden- onceovergrown after decades of neglect, has been lovingly restored into one ofIreland’s most beautiful heritage gardens.

Speaking at the event, Sister Magdelena FitzGibbon and HeadGardener Anja Gohlke shared the inspiring story of the garden’s evolution, fromits origins under Mitchell Henry in the late 1800s to its revival in the late1990s. They honoured the numerus hands that helped bring the garden back tolife, protecting an important aspect of Kylemore’s history for future generations.

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

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