Our History
The history of this Community of Benedictine nuns spans six centuries and three countries. As part of its history, the community has experienced world wars, national conflict, and migration. From the founding of their original monastery in Brussels in 1598 to their arrival at Kylemore Castle in 1920 – as The Irish Dames of Ypres, our Benedictine community has followed the call of Jesus to “seek God” according ot the wise guidance of St. Benedict of Nursia in his Rule for Monks written in the sixth century.
The Early Beginnings
1598 – 1680
The Benedictine nuns of Kylemore Abbey have a long history, beginning at Brussels in 1598.
In the late 1500s following the suppression of religious houses in the British Isles, many British Catholics left England and opened monastic houses in Europe. A number of monasteries originated from one Benedictine house in Brussels, founded by Lady Mary Percy in 1598.
Communities founded from Lady Mary’s house in Brussels were located at Cambray in France (now Stanbrook, England) and at Ghent (now Oulton Abbey, Staffordshire). Ghent, in turn, founded several Benedictine monasteries, one of which was at Ypres, in Belgium, established in 1665. Through the centuries, Ypres Abbey attracted the daughters of Irish nobility, as students and postulants. The abbey enjoyed the patronage of influential Irish families living in exile from religious persecution. The community formally affiliated with the Irish nation in 1682.
Nun walking in the gardens of Ypres Abbey
Lady Mary Percy, foundress of the Monastery of the Glorious Assumption of Our Lady, Brussels (1598)
Abbaye des Bénédictines Irlandaises, Ypres (Lithograph, Bruges)
Portrait, King James II (1603 – 1701)
Turbulent Times
1680 – 1920
Known as The Irish Dames of Ypres, the Benedictine nuns moved to Dublin in 1688 at the request of King James II, but returned to Ypres following James’s defeat at the Battle of the Boyne in 1690.
After more than two centuries in Ypres educating women and living their Benedictine lives of prayer and spirituality, the nuns fled their abbey shortly before it was destroyed in the early days of World War I.
The nuns arrived as refugees, first in England, before travelling to Macmine, County Wexford. Eventually, they purchased Kylemore Castle in Connemara, Ireland.
Lady Abbess Maura Ostyn (1916-18)
Ruins of Ypres Abbey, 1914. It was destroyed during WWI.
Advertisement for Benedictine Nuns’ Select Boarding School at Macmine, Co. Wexford, 1917
Arrival to Kylemore
1920 – 2024
On 4 December 1920, The Irish Dames of Ypres arrived at Kylemore Castle. There, they continued their Benedictine ministry of education, establishing an international boarding school, as well as welcoing local girls. The school achieved wide-spread renown, attracting students from Ireland, Europe, Asia and the USA.
In 2010, the school closed, but the Benedictine nuns continued their work in education through music programmes, spiritual retreats and an innovative partnership with the University of Notre Dame, located in Indiana, USA. In 2016, the University of Notre Dame Global Centre opened at Kylemore as a residential centre for students and faculty.
The Benedictine nuns remain committed stewards of the Kylemore estate: operating a farm and guesthouse; developing tourism and craft enterprises, which generate employment for the local area; leading award-winning restoration programmes of the walled gardens, gothic church and the castle, while welcoming thousands of visitors to their shared home.
The nuns collecting their own turf, 1936
Abbess Maura Ostyn and sisters with Indian pupil of the Boarding School in the 1930s
Sr Noreen (Peter) Gallagher with pupils c. 1970
President Mary Robinson visits Kylemore for the re-opening of the restored Gothic Church, 1995
Mother Máire Hickey, Abbess with the Benedictine Community pictured in the Victorian Walled Garden, 2019
Sr Magdalena, Sr Mary Scholastica and Sr Mariangela at the new Abbey Exhibition Entrance, 2020
Vision for the Future
2024 –
Vision for the Future
With contemplative monastic life at the heart of Kylemore, the Benedictine community continues to develop Kylemore Abbey as a successful visitor experience, in order to preserve the site’s rich heritage and generate income for the upkeep and restoration of the estate.
In 2024, a long-standing dream came ot fruition with the completion of the construction on the new Monastery of the Immaculate Conception on the Kylemore grounds. The community had been working on this project almost since the day they arrived at Kylemore Castle in 1920.
Living in the first female Benedicitne monastery to be built in ireland for 400 years, the Benedictines se tis new home as a place for the contemplative mission ot thrive. It is a joy to be able to invite others to share in the living tradition of faith and spirituality at Kylemore.
Find Out More
Learn more about the rich history of the Benedictine Nuns of Kylemore Abbey through the following books
The Benedictine Nuns and Kylemore Abbey: A History
by Deirdre Raftery & Catherine KilBride
Renowned historians Deirdre Raftery and Catherine Kilbride tell the astonishing story of the Benedictines of Kylemore Abbey in this beautiful book, the first fully illustrated account of this historic order. A special hardback edition was released for the Centenary year of the Benedictine Community in Kylemore Abbey.
- Publisher : Irish Academic Press
- Language : English
Available on the Kylemore Abbey Online Shop
History of Kylemore Castle and Abbey
by Kathleen Villiers-Tuthill
Fascinating Irish Local History covering the period from 1862 to 2002. The Castle was built by Mitchell Henry for his family and 125 tenants. The Abbey housed a remarkable community of Benedictine Nuns.
- Publisher : Kylemore Abbey Publications
- Language : English
- ISBN-13 : 978-0954231019
Available on the Amazon