Margaret Henry’s unexpected death in 1875 threw her husband, Mitchell, into despair. He found it difficult to spend time at their sprawling Irish estate at Kylemore. Indeed, he seldom returned, spending most of his time in England. Nevertheless, he built this chapel on the grounds as her final resting place.
Built in the style of a 14th-century gothic English cathedral, this chapel looks more imposing than it really is. It’s a cathedral in 1:4 scale
Its scale is most apparent inside, where one short column of pews faces the altar.
The Henrys were Anglicans, but when the Benedictine nuns bought the estate they rededicated it, including this chapel, to Catholic worship and missions.
By all accounts, Mitchell Henry never really recovered from losing his wife. His fortunes took a turn for the worse in the years that followed. He died nearly penniless. Yet upon his death, he was returned to Kylemore and took his eternal rest alongside his Margaret.
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