I'm So BEHIND!

It was such a crazy week that I haven't had much time to sleep let alone post! I apologize. The basic run down of the week amounted to two birthdays, 1 feast day, 1 paper worth 50% of the grade, one (unpresented) presentation, and one unexpected visit from Mira's parents followed by Mira's departure home. Yep, I've been keeping busy.

Monday - Maria Paula's birthday

Tuesday - V-day, Feast day, Irish Dancing

Wednesday - Mira's parents arrived, cancelled presentation, went to pub
Ok, so my class got cancelled due to professor's illness, so I went home to find a commotion. Apparently Mira's parents and boyfriend (Matihas?) had come to Ireland to surprise her before she went home on Saturday. They were going to meet her at her school, but they thought she got out at 5PM instead of 4:30PM so they met on the way. She saw her boyfriend in the distance and thought he looked familiar, but she didn't think much of it and kept talking to Jamie. When she looked again there were two people behind him that looked VERY familiar and then I guess she broke out laughing when she realized that she knew those people VERY well indeed, for they were her family! We cancelled our U.S. states (Missouri, Alaska, and Wisconsin) presentations and went to a little Irish pub with Mira's family instead. The others headed out a bit earlier, but I wanted to get a bit of my paper done (due Friday) so I was to go with Maria at 8:30PM. Everyone was ready to go, but Maria disappeared. We waited for almost a half an hour but Nuria and I couldn't sit still so we told Italian Laura that we'd meet her and Maria there. Later we found out that Maria had finally gotten ahold of her mother (her mom's birthday was Wednesday) and instead of talking on the phone for ten minutes, had gotten herself into a half an hour conversation! We stayed at the pub until about 10PM because we were all tired, except for Nuria and Maria who say that Spanish always stay out later. Hmmm.....

Thursday - NOTHING SPECIAL!
My day of rest, I spent it getting ready for Maria's party on Friday night and writing my paper. I sent off a draft to Mom to see if she could find those mistakes that I normally can't catch, but I think she forgot that I'm 6 hours AHEAD because I got her draft of the paper after my class got done on Friday....noon here/6AM there....ooops. I did get to talk to my professor when I caught him in the hallway after my last class. We talked for 20 minutes and I felt a ton better about the paper when I left for I was on the right track and a couple of the tips he gave me I think made my paper a much stronger argument, and of course I learned a bit more about Irish politics that I needed to know too!

Friday - My paper, Maria's Birthday breakfast and party, got left behind
We had hoped to do a picnic breakfast by the beach on Friday morning, but the weather channel said rain all day so we decided to have our party indeoors and head down to Javas for a light b-fast. Unfortunantly for us the weather was just fine so we didn't make it to the ocean and the store we were going to go to was closed so we had to go to a different one! It rained on and off throughout the day, raining during my class (where I handed in the paper) and of course again when we were preparing a picnic lunch to the beach, and clear for the rest of the night. That afternoon the girls and I ran around finding sweets, a picture and frame, and a couple of other things for the party that night. Claire and I also spent time finishing the sun pinata and Laura, Claire, and I cut out pictures of beaches to tape up to the walls for decoration. I even brought down my computer for some music and picture slide-shows for fun.

That night I spent "working". I was in full catering mode from setting up the candles to serving the food to clearing the plates and cleaning it up. I wish I would've been able to relax more because I didn't have as much fun as I should've. They ended up going out later, so I decided I'd go upstairs, plug in my computer, write a little bit to post later, and put some of the decorating supplies away. 5 minutes later, I hear the noise gone from downstairs...they had all left without me! I went downstairs to Antoniette, the only person still home. I was really tired, so being left behind wasn't only sad, but devestating. I cried, then pouted. Antoniette made me go, so I went. Of course, I took everything valuable out of my pockets because I have no cell phone here with which to call people when I have to go out at night alone. Without my lifeline, I must admit that I feel a bit more nervous out at night alone. I made it to the pub, but I couldn't figure out where they were, so I went all the way around 2 times.....there's a downstairs too, said the doorman. So I went and looked downstairs. There they were at a big table.

Ok, I admit it. I don't like to disturb people and I don't like to but-in on others. When people are busy, I'd prefer not to bother them unless it's really important. I don't like to invite myself along into other people's trips, parties, etc. I have to think about how I'd feel if someone did that to me...if I were doing something important and people kept interrupting me or like what if people were planning on being alone and then me the third wheel showed up and ruined it for them. I'd feel terrible. So I don't do that, I wait instead. This is what I was thinking when I saw them all at the big table, eating cake and being in a dozen conversations. I didn't want to disturb them (and I admit it, I was pouting too). So I went outside to weigh out my options. I could 1-go home and say I didn't see them or that I did and didn't want to join them, 2-go to the cathedral and just sit and be for it had been a long day and I was tired, or 3-get my but back in there and not be crabby. I chose 3, and on my way back in I met up with Maire and LuLu who had apparently seen me before and were coming to get me. I don't remember much of the conversation (for my head was mush and we were discussing religion) but I do know that it was nice and I remember smiling a couple of times, my first times of the evening. There are still no pictures of me from that day.

Here's a bit of what I wrote before I left the house.

"17/2/06 Such a caterer,
I was into my work mode tonight at its fullest. Today was Maria’s birthday, so I got to help…well, COORDINATE, quite a bit of the day. Tonight was a big fiesta that I’d spent days preparing and I don’t think Maria even noticed. Then I spent the night cleaning up after everyone instead of enjoying the fruits of my labor. I am not in one picture…probably because at the beginning I was too busy taking care of everything and at the end too tired and crabby-looking and dirty/icky feeling to justify a picture. 25 loud, noisy people in one small room for over an hour is just too much for me. And when I was sitting down and eating, I felt guilty, like I should be working instead of enjoying. Damn you, catering training! ..."

Oh yeah, the hot water went out on Friday so we were using the only water we could get in the kitchen and boiling it for cooking. Only two bathrooms were working for 15 people + two guests!! No showers on Friday!

Saturday - Mira's good-bye, Pizza at the club
I must've been really really tired, because when my watch alarm went off at 8:08AM I turned over, fairly awake and about to get a couple of more moments of shut-eye. Next thing I know it's 11:15AM and Laura's at my door knocking, telling me that Mira's parents are here for coffee and I should come downstairs. Even the plumber had been awake and here before me! Oops...I got dressed fairly quickly and hustled downstairs. We had a big group photo taken, but since Maire, Antoniette, and Claire weren't there (take a friend to the hospital, in chapel, and at work, respectively), I'll have to photo-shop them in later. Mira's parents and boyfriend had come to help get Mira's luggage downtown to their rooms and then to the bus. Since it was a lovely day, they came early for coffee and to take her stuff (who knows when the weather is going to change here? two minutes flat, I'm telling you, it takes two minutes flat to change completely ... seriously). Mira, Laura, Jessica, Lulu, Jamie and I all came to my room for one last game of Shang-hi (a card game Jessica had taught us) but we didn't make it through all the rounds. I guess Mira'll have to come back to finish the game!
Lunch came too soon, for right after that Jessica, Laura, Maria, Pilar, and I had to leave for club and say good-bye to Mira. I didn't feel too bad about saying good-bye for I'll get to see her in three weeks. Then the 5 of us headed out to club.
The club was so much fun because we got to make pizzas! The 5 of us "leaders" made pizza too (normally we don't make the cooking projects, but just help the girls) for dinner since we had mass tonight, but more later. Anyway, I took pictures of each of the girls and their pizzas, which we had all made faces using mushrooms, peppers, olives, cheese, and even a carrot (the nose on my face) and had a pizza-face contest. I didn't win, but since I was the one who had bought the candy prizes (it was left over from the party) I didn't feel too bad.
When we got back, there was no Mira! She was set to fly out of Shannon with her family at 7:30PM......I noticed that someone was missing at mass (besides Maire who I hadn't seen all day) and I realized that it was Mira! She wasn't there in the back giggling with Jessica or asking what things meant. I MISS MIRA!!!!
Sigh.....Laura and I had a small dinner after mass and then helped Jessica make all of the packed lunches for tomorrow. There'll be 11 of us going to climb CroughPatrick tomorrow, and we'll all be hungry when we get to the top, no doubt. After finishing the sandwiches, I ran upstairs to put pictures onto the computer, label and post those pictures, and type (it's taken about two hours). Next up....SLEEP!

Well, that's about it for me. Lots of love, Christi

The Holy Mountain

The tradition of pilgrimage to this holy mountain stretches back over 5,000 years from the Stone Age to the present day without interruption.

Croagh Patrick is renowned for its Patrician Pilgrimage in honour of Saint Patrick, Ireland's patron saint. It was on the summit of the mountain that Saint Patrick fasted for forty days in 441 AD and the custom has been faithfully handed down from generation to generation. The Black Bell of Saint Patrick was a highly venerated relic on Croagh Patrick for many years.

On 'Reek Sunday', the last Sunday in July, over 25,000 pilgrims visit the Reek.

Individuals and groups come from all over the world and include pilgrims, hill climbers, historians, archaeologists and nature lovers.

The first stop on the pilgrimage is Saint Patrick's statue erected in 1928 by Reverend Father Patterson with money he collected in America towards the rebuilding of Saint Mary's Church in Westport.

Although it is not one of the three traditional stations of the Reek, it has become a place of prayer for those embarking on the pilgrimage and serves as an ideal substitution for those who are unable to make the complete climb.

For more information (and where to find me should I not come back!) : http://www.croagh-patrick.com/

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!! 1-2-3, 2-2-3, 3-2-3. 4-2-3, Irish Dancing is all about threes

We went out Irish dancing tonight. It was great fun just getting there because it was rainning cats and dogs the whole way. The dancing was a couples thing and so we all got to dance with each other...me of course, I got to lead because I'm a terrible dancer anyway. We were doing this spinning thing and I was hurting my knee because one leg's a bit shorter than the other due to the popped hip and the leg that needed to be longer was the short one and vice versa so that I couldn't do anymore spinning by the end of the night. Up and down, up and down. We had a great time and made up our own version of the dance by having two extra couples which was great fun. Mira learned of the dance classes (5euro/2+hours) through her language school and met several of the students from her classes there. Dance lessons are held at a social society clubhouse near the mouth of the River Corrib down by the swans. I call Laura "twinkle toes" not because she's a terrible dancer -- far from it in fact. She's excellent, and dances with pointed toes like the pros do. I got video of her and Mira dancing (they look really really good together), Claire and this one guy (who couldn't dance to save himself, so she basically led), and LuLu and the guy from Switzerland. For this being his third time in class, Michael from Switzerland knew less than we did. Of course Mira had to shoot video of Jessica and me (I giggled the whole time because I'm soooooo bad!)....at least I didn't step on anyone's toes..I think.

By the time we left the rain had passed and the stars were shinning. We sang what little we know of "Somewhere Out There" from An American Tale (with the Russian mice who immigrate out to America). Now I'm here, posting, listening to that song on iTunes, and talking to Alissa through IM. Apparently her grandpa's not doing so well and she'll be going home tonight.

Otherwise, I spent the day researching for my paper (I only got more questions) and in classes. We had a lovely dinner to celebrate the Opus Dei feast day when St. Josemaria decided to allow women to be in Opus Dei. If he hadn't done that, I wouldn't have a place to live now and none of my great friends.

Lots of love, Christi

Happy Double Birthday!

Today was Maria Paula and Fredericka's birthdays. Maria Paula is now 21 and from Ecuador, Fredericka is 24 and from Germany. Since I was unofficially put in charge of the birthday planning, I got to do lots of the work. I can't say all, because Claire did most of the work too. Claire and I made the pinata (which looks pretty good, despite having issues with matching up all of the hexagons and pentagons because they were the wrong size for the ball) and went to three different travel agencies to find brouchures of South America and cut out pictures (we ended up using lots from Peru because there were very little of Ecuador, lots of Peru, and they are neighbors anyway--Maria Paula didn't know the difference!). We decorated and pasted but thankfully got out of setting the table for dinner. We took Maria Paula out to "La Salsa" for lunch, a really nice Mexican resturant near her school. Then we all split up, Claire and I to get the brochures and sweets for the pinata (which we ended up cutting a hole into so you could just reach in to get the sweets and not bash in our pinata...we love it too much for that). I also got some more stuff to send home for peoples. The box is pretty heavy with all of that glassware..should be a blast to send!

I love the library here. Sure it doesn't have much selection especially for fiction, you are only allowed to check out 5 books (but I can usually get 6), and you have to renew every week. But they always seem to have the textbooks I need when I need them. Take for example tonight. It's two hours before the library closes and I finally have time to do homework (again, did lots of work for the party today). Went to the library on the off-hand chance they had the book I need. They did and despite being at my 5 book limit, I have this one for the 24 hour desk reserve time period. Wooo Hoooo!!!!

I'm glad that our fundraiser got cut tomorrow. I was about to have to do most of the work again, and it's a long week anyway. Now I can spend that time writing my paper and researching for the WI presentation I have to give to RG on Wednesday night. And I should be able to make it to choir - probably a good idea since there's a concert this weekend (which I'm still not sure I'm going to be able to attend). Oh well, gots to love a busy week.

I got a really lovely card from Sharon, George, and Daniel today. It's a picture of a parrot Daniel drew for me, and enclosed was a picture of a snapper fish also drawn by Daniel. I'm going to take pictures and post them (hopefully) soon. The snapper sits on my dresser and the card on my bulletin board near my other postcards. THANK YOU!!!!!

My library books awaits! Lots of love, Christi

Connemara

Even in winter and rain, it's one of the most beautiful places in the world. It's nickname is "gateway to heaven" and yes, it looks like it too.

But first, Friday and Saturday.

Friday was a normal day (except for the part where I realized that I have a paper due next week which adds to the already crazy and jam-packed week...oops). That night Maria, Maire, Laura, Leli, and I went to a pub called The Crane Bar for some traditional Irish music. It was nice and laid back, considered for more of the "older" crowd, which made it not terribly crowded....just what we needed for our house was about to be invaded for the weekend. Maire tried to lead us back to RG (Ros Geal) but got us lost, about two blocks further than we wanted to be. Can no streets in Ireland be in a straight line?! We made curfew on the nose, and Jessica and Mira came to the door to greet us. They had stayed home to enjoy the quiet evening and let in all of our visitors.

Saturday I slept in until 9:30AM and then stayed in bed until 10AM. I missed out on all of our new guests, including one "unexpected" visitor who was to sleep in Mira's room so Mira got moved into my room. More on that in a bit. Lunch was a crowd, but it was fun. The club crew headed out after securing seats for everyone. I would've loved to have gone, but there wasn't room for me. I can always go later I guess. I instead talked to Mom for an hour on the phone and then started my craft project with Claire, which ended up being two. We had decided to make a pinata for Maria Paula's birthday (it's going to be a big bash because she said no one remembers her birthday and she misses home a lot). Since Maria's birthday's on Friday, we decided to make one for her too. We accidentally spilt our glueish mixture on the nicely waxed floor, but Maire didn't yell at us and just had us put down more newspaper instead. We spent most of the afternoon covering our giant balloons and finished a half an hour before Claire's bus was leaving so she could go home for the day (she's from Lish...don't ask me where that is exactly, it's 4 hours away though!). I spent the rest of the evening taking advantage of everyone else watching a movie downstairs to take a nice long shower. With 20+ people in the house (another group came to use our study room for a movie break), bathrooms were often in use, especially with everyone here.

The group of girls staying here were doing some sort of meetings to prepare themselves for college. The teacher slept in the smallest bedroom in the house, but the only single bedroom left. We cleaned it out on Friday, moving the mountains of stuff into the soon-to-be office. They really need one because bedrooms have been doubling as offices until it is completed. Anyway, there were about 4-5 in this group, and they are a giggly, noisy bunch! They left while we were gone today. Also someone from the sister house in Dublin stayed on her way passing through..she said how different the houses were, for our house has a few less people and a bit more freedom, for our curfew is 12 midnight and not super-strict (you can still get in later, but with a lot of apologizing to whoever you woke up) while her house is 11PM or else. She's also not allowed to go into the kitchen (one of the coldest but funnest rooms in the house, we often go in to help prepare meals, snitch cookies when hungry, and bother Nuria). We think it's because Maire runs our house and someone very different runs Dublin's. I'm sooooo happy I'm here and not there, for I would have absolutely no where else to sleep after 11PM...it reminded me of Milwaukee and I remember thinking Milwaukee was strict with a 10PM curfew but an open kitchen.

Ok, now onto today. We (Maria, Leli, LuLu, Mira, Jessica, Laura, and I) went with a different tour company to Connemara, Co. Galway a little north and west of here. We didn't like the last tour guide, so we decided to go with Healy Tours. It was an excellent decision for this guide was awesome. He talked a lot and knew a lot about the area. It was obvious that he loves what he does and it made the trip a lot more fun. I also found some other Wisconsionians!!!! A mother and daughter are visiting from Milwaukee....how awesome?!

We went so many places, I can't remember them all. We totally didn't follow the brochure map, which was fine because all of the places that we were supposed to stop for coffee or whatever were closed (it is Sunday after all). I bought lots of postcards in order to get some nicer pictures for mine are all taken in the winter and in the rain.

We went through several small towns including Spiddal which got its name from the leper hospital that used to be there. We went through another town (name?) that used to be this one guy's farmland. Back in the 1970s he was trying to sell is 22 acres for 200 pounds so he could immigrate to the U.S. The poor soil made it kind of useless for farming, and the land remained unsold until the 1990s when a developer offered well over the asking price, 11 million euros! The man is now happily settled still in Ireland, for he doesn't need to go to the U.S. to find work anymore!

We went through Recess (it's a town), and the bus driver got very upset while telling us the tale of this small village. I was rather depressed myself. This village was badly hit by the Famine. Before the Famine, it had 4,000+ people. There were 200 known survivors of the Famine and they all left. Whole families were found in the houses, unable to move from starvation. The town remained a ghost town for almost 100 years, until developers got in there to revitalize the town. Some of the Famine cottages still remain, as a testament to the people who died.

Dinner time!

6:36PM. I ran away from dinner (having served it all, I think I can get away with not helping to clean up) to finish typing. So much to do, including picture labeling, cd making, and scrapbooking. And a paper to write so tomorrow my computer can be used for U.S. states presentations to be presented on Wednesday. And I'm helping with two birthdays this week (which is actually three, but I don't know the third person and therefore am not worried about doing stuff for them...the others can work that out!!) Ack, so much stuff to do!!!!!

Anyway....after Recess, we tried several more times to stop and use the faclities before making it to Leeane and it's famous pub. Leenane was featured in the movie "The Field" and it's pub was a popular spot for the film crew to hang out in. Back in the Penal Codes time, Catholics were allowed to own very little land, but they could own pubs. Pubs would usually be for families, and were the resturant, post office, convenience store, and mortuary. All news from the outside came through the pub. The pub here still had the convienence store and post office (but no longer performed embalming services). A really nice little place.

Next stop was grand. My absolute favorite stop has to be Kylemore Abbey. Sigh.......I got goosebumps as we rounded the corner and about to see our first glimpse (think Elizabeth Bennet's first viewing of Pemberley). It was well worth it too, for despite the dark day and rain that colored the house slate grey, it was a magnificant sight to behold. We first went to eat our packed meals before wandering the grounds. We would've eaten outside, but the rain forced us indoors to the only place we saw chairs--the resturant. We all ended up buying a little something (beverages, breads, scones, or in my case, a chocolate chip cookie) so we could eat our meals without feeling guilty. The Abbey and it's grounds, which were opened up to tourists in the 1970s, receive no funds from the government and runs almost solely on the money made from its resturant, gift shop, handmade pottery (which no one was working in the pottery room or I would've taken a picture), and the price of admission beyond the tourist shop gates. It also houses a boarding school with 80 full-time students and 100 day-students from many countries around the world. Unfortunantly they will be closing this service at the end of the year. I assume they will rent out the house for they would make a great deal more charging tourists wayyyy too much to sleep in one of the (I'm assuming) grand bedrooms with a lake view. Kylemore Castle (later turned into an abbey) is one of the most photographed buildings in Europe, and with such a setting it is no wonder. I ended up buying even more postcards (I found one for the small village of Knock which we went to on our way to Sligo) and a 500 piece puzzle of the Abbey....which I admit I bought because I love it sooooo much. I plan on putting it together here and (if it's too big back home) to frame.

It cost 6 euros to see three rooms of the Abbey, the church (small, simple, but absolutely lovely), and the mosuleum. And walk around the man-made lake. It was the dream house of the Henrys and I know exactly why. Absolutely where ever you look (unless it is down and there is sheep poo) the view is breath-taking. I took a short film of the lake (it is so calming and it reminded me of Lake Mendota) and of the house (running through it because I had to be back at the bus in 5 minutes). I didn't want to leave, but alas, it was 3:15PM and we had to. It had finally stopped misting and you could see some hills in the distance that could be mistaken for a sunset because they were the perfect shade of gold.

With the let-up of rain we went back to Inagh Valley. Here was how the "gateway to heaven" idea came around because it was so peaceful and so beautiful that one could think that they could almost see the pearly gates in the distance. We learned about sod, which was used as firemaking-material. It comes from the bogs that make up this valley. For every 3ft of bog it took 1,000 years to make it. Obviously you wouldn't want to over-harvest, so they gave contracts to certain people and once they die, no one is allowed to harvest peat, not even their children. They are reaching the last of the generation allowed, so soon no one will be harvesting the bogs.

The topsoil is called peat moss, used in fertilizers. The lower layers are pulled out of the earth, rolled into "log-like" forms, laid out to dry in fields for a few months, then brought inside to be completely dried. They are left inside for 3 years because the bogs are 80% water and all of that has to come out in order to burn the sod. All of this is done by hand with a shovel. I have pictures of the piles, but accidentally erased the picture of the actual harvesting. It basically looks like a square cut out of the side of a hill, but only a couple of feet deep.

I also learned about the thatch-roofed cottages before the 1900s. Back then, using reeds was very expensive because one had to pay the landlord in order to use anything off of his lands. These would be laid like straws vertically on the roof. Reeds were preferred because when the rain hit, they slid down the "straws" and off that way, not soaking into the house. They were also resistant to mold and algae. This could last for 40 years. If one couldn't afford reeds, they used straw. This can get moldy and at best would last 7-8 years (replacing sections every 3 years or so).

I had to ask the bus driver to stop at the Quiet Man house used in the film (which it turns out we had been there as a stop to find a restroom, but the house was behind the hotel). We passed the bridge used when John Wayne kissed Maureen O'Hara because the bus driver was talking so much (and it was all really fascinating stuff, so I didn't want to stop him). We got to see the house, but couldn't walk around it. The hotel build right beside the house went out of business....probably because it is in the middle of no where. Oh well.

We came back into town and actually drove right by our house! Most of us wanted to get off, but said it only after Jessica told the driver to keep going so we had to walk all the way back (even though it isn't really that far). I came here to type, turning down the others to use my computer (I must get this all down). Dinner came and went, now I'm here typing. I missed Sharon being online and I should call Grandpa sometime when the phone is free....whenever that is (it is Sunday night after all). This week is going to be so busy that I don't know how I'll get it all done. Such is the life.

I should get going on that list if I ever want to get to bed tonight. Lots of love, Christi

Kylemore Abbey, County Galway

Kylemore Abbey is an intensely romantic place, an enchanted fairy-tale castle in the neo-Gothic style that stands dramatically at the foot of a barren mountain in a remote and beautiful part of Connemara - its numerous battlemented and machicolated towers and turrets reflected in the waters of the lake below. For years this amazing house, now a convent, has been the most admired and photographed building in the West of Ireland.

The castle was built between I863 and I868 for Mitchell Henry (1826-1911), a highly successful Manchester financier and MP, to the design of James Franklin Fuller and Ussher Roberts, brother of Field Marshal Roberts. The story of its building began in 1852 when Henry was on honeymoon with his bride Margaret Vaughan of Quilly House, County Down. Stopping near Kylemore Pass for an al fresco lunch, the young Mrs Henry looked up and saw a small shooting-box on the opposite hillside, the only dwelling in sight, and exclaimed: 'How I would love to live there.' Ten years later, Mitchell Henry, by now a rich tycoon, purchased the property with its 9,000 (another account says 13,000 and the tour guide said 22,000) acres of moor land, mountain and lake and embarked upon a dream house for his wife.

The building took five years and cost over one and a quarter million pounds - a staggering sum in those days. The completed castle was on a 'Citizen Kane' scale, boasting many splendid reception rooms including a ball-room with a sprung floor, a magnificent staircase, a library, a study and thirty-three bedrooms. There were only four bathrooms, but the house was equipped with a Turkish bath, its water pressure ensured by an elaborate system of hydrants. He also built a model farm, laundry, dairy, saw mill, ornate chapel and a Gothic church, which was in part a replica of Norwich Cathedral. There was a six-acre walled garden and thanks to three miles of hot-water piping, twenty-one greenhouses containing tropical fruit, vineries, peaches, pineries and orangeries. Three hundred thousand trees were planted a year to protect the castle and gardens from constant gales and many of these grew successfully despite the harsh weather conditions.

For ten years the Henrys and their nine children lived at Kylemore, entertaining on a lavish scale. Tragedy struck in I875 when Margaret died on a visit to Egypt. She was buried in a mausoleum at Kylemore, but afterwards her husband could no longer bear to spend much time there. Later his daughter Geraldine was killed when driving a pony-trap at Derryinver and shortly afterwards Henry's financial empire started to collapse. In 1902 Kylemore was acquired for a twentieth of its value by Mr Zimmerman, a Chicago businessman, as a present for his daughter who had married the Duke of Manchester. During their tenure from 1902 to 1913, when the estate was mortgaged to money lenders, they made many unfortunate changes, including transforming the lovely ball-room into an enormous kitchen. This conversion was undertaken to satisfy the cook who was expecting to prepare a meal for Edward Vll and Queen Alexander on their visit to Connemara in 1903. Their Majesties did, in fact, come - but only for a cup of tea.

The old ball-room is now the chapel of the Irish Dames of Ypres who acquired Kylemore in 1920. This Benedictine congregation was founded originally in 1572 and later established by Dame Lucy Knatchbull at Ypres in 1665. They came to Ireland after their abbey was destroyed during the Great War and settled at Kylemore, where they established a famous girl's school.
http://www.irelandseye.com/aarticles/travel/attractions/houses/kylemore.shtm

Other sites include:
http://www.kylemoreabbey.com/
http://www.mcgraw-hill.co.uk/he/web_sites/business/marketing/jobber/files/cases/13kylemore.html