Sr. Karol and Sr. Jeanne with pony and foal in Kylemore Abbey before departure.
Kylemore Abbey’s Connemara ponies are on the road again
Following the success of last year’s summer placement of a Kylemore Abbey mare and her foal in Áras an Uachtarain, Kylemore’s horsebox is on the road again, this time to the Irish National Stud in County Kildare.
As two of Ireland’s leading visitor attractions, both with an equine interest, this partnership will see the west and east coast of the country come together to offer visitors to the National Stud an opportunity to see the beautiful, native Irish pony – the Connemara mare and her foal alongside racehorse legends such as Beef or Salmon and Hurricane Fly.
“The Irish National Stud and Gardens are delighted to welcome the beautiful Gray Lass and her colt foal Peaceful Promise from the iconic visitor’s attraction, Kylemore Abbey. They will be here for the summer months show casing Ireland’s wonderful national breed of Pony,” explains the Irish National Stud’s Tourism Manager, David Wardell.
Kylemore Abbey CEO Conor Coyne says goodbye to Peaceful Promise.
Since the introduction of the ‘Peaceful’ Connemara pony herd in Kylemore Abbey in 2019, they have become a key part of the visitor experience with daily feedings, opportunities for visitors to name the new foals online, and a Pony Trail with interesting, fun signage running along the pony paddock that illustrates why the Connemara Pony is sought after worldwide as both a performance pony and as a trusted family pony.
Kylemore Abbey
Located in the heart of Connemara on the Wild Atlantic Way, Kylemore Abbey was originally built by Mitchell Henry as an ancestral castle in 1870. Later, after passing through the hands of the Duke of Duchess of Manchester, it became home to a Benedictine Community of Nuns who were fleeing war torn Belgium. In 1920, it was transformed into the iconic Kylemore Abbey. The Estate continues to be a home and place of worship to the Benedictine Community.
Today, visitors can experience the Abbey at its finest, with its beautifully restored period rooms. They can Discover the fascinating visitor experience and learn about its history of tragedy, romance, education, and spirituality. Explore the 6-acre Victorian Walled Garden with its delightfully restored garden buildings, formal flower, and vegetable and herb gardens and the picturesque neo-Gothic Church. New from 2021, Kylemore Woodland’s Trails & Tales takes visitors through previously unseen pastures and woodlands into the very heart of the 1000-acre estate.
Off to the National Stud
The large number of visitors who visit the National Stud on an annual basis will be able to learn more about the Connemara pony from interpretive signage, like that found on Kylemore’s Pony Trail. This offers a wonderful opportunity to promote the Connemara breed, both in Ireland and abroad. This is something much appreciated by the Connemara pony lovers, as David Sheedy, President of the Connemara Pony Breeders Society points out: “The Connemara Pony Breeders’ Society is delighted with this wonderful initiative between Kylemore Abbey and The National Stud. We look forward to seeing our Connemara pony take its place amongst some of the most wonderful horses in the world.”
Peaceful Promise getting excited at the National Stud.
While Gray Lass (affectionately referred to as “Snowy”) and her foal are looking forward to their holiday, they will be greatly missed by the Benedictine nuns who have called Kylemore Abbey home for over 100 years, and who have grown very fond of the ponies. Each Spring the nuns keep a watchful eye over the mares as they prepare to foal. One nun who has developed a special relationship with the ponies is Sr. Karol, a music teacher and artist whose paintings of the ponies have been developed into a beautiful range of cards and tea towels, available in the Kylemore Abbey Craft and Design Shop.
The Connemara ponies racing against their famous neighbours – Hurricane Fly, Faugheen, Beef or Salmon, Hardy Eustace and Kicking King.
The colt foal who will travel to Kildare this June was aptly named “Peaceful Promise” after what has become an annual online competition to get visitors and followers of Kylemore as excited about the Spring Foals as everyone in Kylemore is. “Peaceful Promise” is a lively foal and will no doubt enthral visitors to the National Stud with his boyish charm and playful disposition.
A delegation from Kylemore Abbey, including Sr. Karol and some of the onsite pony experts, travelled with the mare and foal to give them a proper send to mark the beginning of a great partnership between pony lovers and two of Ireland’s leading Visitor Attractions.
“We are delighted, in Kylemore Abbey, to share our love of the Connemara Pony with our friends at the Irish National Stud and Gardens. Kylemore Abbey has a long-standing tradition of promoting the best of the West of Ireland and this partnership will bring the national breed of Pony to Ireland’s showcase for all things equine,” says Conor Coyne, CEO of Kylemore Abbey.
Visitors to Kylemore Abbey can get to see the “Peaceful” Connemara pony herd who spend the summer months frolicking with their foals by the Garden Teahouse. Daily pony feedings offer Kylemore’s nearly 560,000 annual visitors the opportunity to get up close to the ponies and learn about the beautiful breed from an expert Connemara pony handler.
You can read more about the Connemara ponies of Kylemore Abbey in the February 2021 issue of Equestrian Life magazine.
Kylemore Abbey is open daily from 10am to 6pm. For more information and to book tickets, please visit www.kylemoreabbey.com
Source: Kylemore Abbey press release
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