Kylemore Abbey history is a truly remarkable one, both Castle and Abbey . The twists of fate which its occupants experienced, from moments of romance and happiness, to sadness and courage have all combined to create a fascinating history spanning over 150 years. Kylemore Castle had many residents in the past, one of them was the Duke of Manchester (William Angus Drogo Montague) and also his Duchess of Manchester wife, Helena Zimmerman.
In 1903, Mitchell Henry sold Kylemore Castle to the Duke of Manchester (William Angus Drogo Montague) and his Duchess of Manchester , Helena Zimmerman. They lived a lavish lifestyle financed by the Duchess’ wealthy father, the American businessman, Eugene Zimmerman. On arrival at Kylemore the couple set about a major renovation, removing much of the Henry’s Italian inspired interiors and making the castle more suitable for the lavish entertainments that they hoped to stage in their new home. The renovation included the removal of the beautiful German stained glass window in the stair case hall and the ripping out of large quantities of Italian and Connemara marble. Local people felt the changes represented a desecration of the memory of the much loved Margaret Henry and her beloved Kylemore Castle.
Below you can read their interesting life stories that led them eventually to Kylemore Estate.