The beautiful valley of Kylemore, whose Gaelic name -Coil Mor- means "large wood", is dominated by a neo-Gothic building, known throughout the world as Kylemore Abbey. The construction was carried out between 1864 and 1871 by Mitchell Henry, a wealthy English merchant, who built it as a token of love for his wife Margaret, who had prematurely died.

In 1920 the building became a Benedictine abbey. It is not possible to visit the Abbey, but the chapel and Victorian walled gardens are open to the public (as well as the inevitable Visitor Centre, the Pottery Studio, the craft shop and a self-service restaurant).

The area is extremely suggestive in June, during the flowering of wild rhododendrons; it is possible to take beautiful snapshots along the road that runs beside the lake, but mind the traffic, as there isn't a lay-by where to stop the car.

It is also possible to enjoy a gorgeous view of the Abbey and the lake from the top of the Diamond Hill, in Connemara National Park.