On the road- one of my first times seeing Ireland outside of the city.

Husband goals. Just saying....

Mitchell Henry built what was then called Kylemore Castle between 1863 and 1868. He and Margaret lived here with their nine children, employing a full domestic staff to run such an estate.

Of course, as a recent Downton Abbey addict, I couldn't help but feel like I was walking through the set as I toured the rooms on display!

On an 1875 trip to Egypt, Margaret Mitchell contracted a fever and passed away at the age of 50. Henry Mitchell built a memorial church and mausoleum on the grounds of Kylemore castle, but did not spend much time there after his wife's death, selling the house in 1909. 

In 1920, the entire estate was purchased by a community of Benedictine nuns who's abbey in Ypres, Belgium was destroyed during World War I. For the next 90 years, the abbey would operate as a girl's boarding school, until it's last class graduated in 2010. 

The view of the lake from the abbey- just imagine waking up for school to this every day!

Lighting candles in the Gothic church on the abbey grounds.

After grabbing coffee in the village of Cong, we arrived at our last destination for the day- Ross Errilly Friary

Like many other religious sites in Ireland, Ross Errilly faced a tumultuous history, caught in the political and religious turmoil in Ireland during the 16th-19th centuries. For much of this time, the friary's livelihood depended on the status of the British monarch, and the status of the Catholic church in England and it's territories- it was confiscated, evacuated, or changed hands at least 10 times over about 200 years. 

Unfortunately, it was late in the day and pretty cold and rainy by the time we reached the friary, so I didn't get as many good pictures. 

Visiting places Kylemore Abbey and Ross Errilly friary really reminds me of why my department requires at least one semester abroad. Not only do my classmates and I benefit from studying in a new country, but we also get to experience places that are just so special- it's not very often you have the opportunity to tour a castle or casually explore friary ruins in the United States!

Still to catch up on: last weekend's trip to Cork, what I've found most different from home, and the little things from home that I occasionally rely on to stay sane :)

As always, let me know if there's anything you'd like to see, and check out my Instagram and Twitter (both @ELove428) for more little pieces of my life :)

XOXO,

Emily