SNIPPET: One of the most beautiful places my sister and I visited on our recent trip to Ireland was Kylemore Abbey in Co. Galway. This is a "must-see" for anyone visiting Ireland! There is a real sense of peace there. Kylemore Abbey was originally built as Kylemore Castle by Manchester textile tycoon Michael HENRY in the 1860's and was a present to his beloved wife. They'd fallen in love with the area when on their honeymoon in 1849 and reportedly spent £155,000 to buy the land. They spent a further £250,000 to create their dream world. Boggy land was drained and thousands of trees were planted to serve as a windbreak for the Medieval styled fruit orchard and exotic gardens, which has just been reopened in 2000 after restoration brought it back to Lord HENRY's original design. Tragedy struck the family when HENRY's beloved wife died after contracting Nile Fever in 1874. In her honor he commissioned the building of the Gothic Cathedral, which is situated at the far end of the estate and is accessible by the tree-lined footpath. It's an exact replica of Norwich Cathedral in England. His wife was embalmed and her body buried in the mausoleum next to the church. In 1892, HENRY's daughter was killed in a freak accident when her horse threw her into a nearby river. HENRY was so overwhelmed with grief that he put the estate up for sale in 1894 but was taken off market when the estate failed to fetch a reasonable price. It was finally sold to a U. S. tycoon named ZIMMERMAN from Cincinnati, OH as a gift for his daughter, the DUCHESS of MANCHESTER. But not long after it was sold to an order of Benedictine Nuns who still run a private girls school there today. There are a few rooms open in the abbey, as well as the styled gardens, tree walk and the church. The grounds by the lake are a bit of paradise on earth! Jean