Kylemore Abbey, Benedictine Nuns and...Chocolate?

“The Hills Are Alive: A Year at Kylemore Abbey” aired at 6:30pm on RTÉ One on Sunday, bringing new attention to Kylemore Abbey and their Benedictine nuns in this three-part documentary.

The Building:

Kylemore Abbey and the various buildings throughout the estate have many stories to tell, since the first brick was laid in 1867 the estate has had to evolve and adapt to suit the needs of the different eras. One of the buildings that has seen several changes of use is the one which today serves as the Chocolate Kitchen where a range of beautiful handmade chocolates are made by the nuns of the Abbey.

Nuns first arrived to Kylemore Abbey in 1920, the Chocolate Kitchen building were used as the home Economics kitchen for Kylemore Abbey Girl’s School, which ran from 1922 until 2010. A local woman Penelope (Nappy) Coyne (nee Joyce) recalled going there as a girl in the 1930s to help the nuns make boiled sweets which they would sell to the small stream of visitors who came to see the Abbey. Nappy was amongst the very first day pupils at Kylemore, and she came to Saint Maurs to learn cookery and needlework. Her sister Eileen remembers a large room with rows of work benches and a solid fuel stove in the Chocolate Kitchen and recalls her father, who was a game keeper for the nuns coming to the kitchen with braces of rabbits strung over his shoulder which a Belgian nun, Sr Walbrugga, used to teach the girls to make rabbit pie. Next door to the kitchen was the accommodation for the half boarders, girls from the local area outside walking distance to the school who stayed during the week and went home at the weekends.  The meals cooked each day in the Home Ec kitchen formed the evening meals for the half boarders.

The Nuns

Benedictine nuns are women committed to giving witness to the Gospel of Jesus through the monastic life of prayer, work, and community according to the Rule of St. Benedict in the Monastery of the Immaculate Conception, located at Kylemore Abbey in the heart of Connemara, within the Archdiocese of Tuam.

Since arriving at Kylemore Castle on 4 December 1920, their community has been anchored in the spiritual, social, educational, and cultural life of Connemara and of Ireland through their monastic life, mission, and stewardship of the Kylemore estate.

Inspired by the beauty of Kylemore Abbey’s natural setting, and aware of their responsibility towards God’s Creation and future generations, they are committed to a focus on integral ecology, rooted in the percepts of Benedictine spirituality. They strive to develop Kylemore Abbey and its estate in an ecologically sustainable way, enabling visitors to get more deeply in touch with nature and beauty, which speak to them of the loving Creator of the earth and humankind.

The Chocolate

In 2010, the school had closed and the Home Ec room lay empty though still complete with its workstations, fridges, sinks and cookers. It was at that time that Sr Genevieve Harrington was given the task of finding a way to utilize the now empty kitchens and somehow she came up with the idea of a small chocolate making venture.  She trained in artisanal chocolate-making and began producing handmade bars, honeycomb, and seasonal confections—each meticulously tempered by her own hands while also studying the craft of and developing a soap range.

Speaking to RTE Sr Genevieve says: "Crafts aren't profitable, to put it mildly," she explains, "so you don't pay yourself a wage, and you certainly can't afford to build a factory - that's out of the question - but if you have your space and your materials, you can make a go of it."

Today Kylemore Abbey handmade chocolates are the most popular item in their Craft and Design Shop, they're even ecommerce experts! Selling their chocolate online!

You can indulge in the rich, handcrafted flavours of Kylemore with this thoughtfully curated chocolate hamper from Sr. Genevieve’s Chocolate Kitchen which includes 8 chocolate bars in a range of tastes and sizes. You can also buy mugs, candles, soap and our favourite a Chocolate Sheep!

You can support the nuns of Kylemore Abbey purchasing through their online shop here:

https://kylemoreabbey.shop/

Or making a donation to their registered charity: https://trust.kylemoreabbey.com/support-kylemore-abbey/support-kylemore/

Find out more about the nuns here: https://trust.kylemoreabbey.com/